


Kindred Dyad

by Rivehn



Series: Magical Seigaku [1]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling, Tennis no Oujisama | Prince of Tennis
Genre: Crossdressing, Extremely Slow Burn, F/M, Female Harry Potter, Magical Bonds, No Beta
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-06-18
Updated: 2020-11-15
Packaged: 2021-03-04 02:35:33
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 16
Words: 117,615
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24796270
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rivehn/pseuds/Rivehn
Summary: Chosen by the Goblet of Fire against her will, Hariel ends up fleeing Hogwarts. She goes to her best friend, Echizen Ryoma. Will she find her place at Seigaku... can she open up to new friends...
Relationships: Fuji Syusuke/Hariel Potter
Series: Magical Seigaku [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1799437
Comments: 26
Kudos: 201





	1. Flight from Wixen

**Author's Note:**

> I fuck with the timeline at my own leisure. Ages are changed, seasons will probably shift inexplicably.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Added Luna, because she is an amazing character.

A raven-haired girl was slowly making her way towards a golden goblet lit with eerie blue fire. Empty green eyes stared out into the darkness as she approached the ancient artefact. 

Conjuring a knife, the witch sliced her skin open with a resolute slash. Holding her bleeding palm over the goblet, she clenched her pale hand into fist, letting the blood drip into the fire. She focused on the link. She could feel it, tying her to the magical artefact. She had not wanted to enter this death trap, so maybe the goblet of fire would let her go. The professors had talked about the goblet as if it was sentient, the judge, jury and executioner of the Triwizard Tournament. 

Ancient magic whispered against her senses, it burned along her hand, as if tasting her intentions through her blood. For a moment she worried that the goblet would take her magic because she wanted to break the contract. Then she remembered seeing angry blue eyes glaring at her, Hermione’s back as she chased after the angry silhouette of their best friend. She really didn’t care. Magic wasn’t nearly as vital as wixen seemed to believe. 

The fiery magic of the goblet flared around her and then, slowly and achingly painful, the hooks on her core, the magical contract, started loosening. After an eternity had passed, the hooks faded into wisps of blue fire. A swarm of blue pinpricks of light drifting away from her. 

Hariel stared at the goblet, it had let her go. She could feel that the ancient magic had judged her claim of being unwillingly entered into the tournament to be true. The heated ancient magic had even smoothed away the damage the hooks had left on her core, burning away the scars in a flicker of heat and old wild power. She sighed out in heady relief. 

She hid beneath her invisibility cloak again, the silky cloth flowing over her small frame. She hurried back to the Gryffindor Tower. She was almost dizzy from the sheer relief that she wasn’t trapped any longer. 

* * *

Hariel’s vision blurred as Hermione walked away from her. The brunette claimed that she was trying not to take a side, but it hurt to be left behind like this. It felt like there was nobody left in the Great Hall who didn’t shun or despise her. She knew the brilliant witch was trying to mend the broken bridges of their little trio, but that didn’t stop the pain. 

Trying the hide her tears from the hundreds of hostile eyes fixed on her, she roughly rubbed her eyes. She had never felt more alone. She left without another backwards glance, hunger long since snuffed out by the horrible feelings bubbling in the pit of her stomach. 

Slowly tracking up to the owlery, she curled up on the last step. Softly petting the snowy owl who had flown down to keep her company the raven-haired girl stared blankly at the snowy peaks that surrounded Hogwarts. Idly she scribbled runes into the snow, for perseverance and fire. The raven warmed her hands against the heat radiating arcane symbols. 

Sighing softly, she pulled out a piece of parchment and a notebook. Balancing the yellowed sheet on the notebook, she started writing a letter to her best friend. Slowly she sketched the goblet of fire, the image of the ghostly blue flames hovering over gleaming gold fixed in her mind as she remembered the contract breaking. 

Picking up the story of what she wanted to tell him again, she scribbled the rest of the letter around the elegant drawing. Her ink characters were spilling down the parchment in neat lines. Her kanji were pretty even when written with a quill. 

She petted Hedwig, gently stroking the black-speckled feathers, the owl was settled on her drawn up knees and she was softly preening her hair. Eventually she sent off the letter, watching as her familiar faded into a tiny white dot and then into nothing at all on the distant horizon. 

She prayed that Ryoma believed her. Her oldest friend, her best friend, had never let her down before. With all these people calling her a liar and harassing her left and right, she was no longer quite as sure though. What if he also thought she entered herself into that death-trap of a tournament? Her magic surged, as if reprimanding her for even entertaining the thought that the golden-eyed boy might betray her. 

It was so, so hard to believe in people when so many of them disappointed her though. Suddenly, out of the mists, a small silhouette appeared. A blonde girl was climbing the steps. Before she could back away, misty grey-silver eyes met hers. “Oh, hello Hariel Potter.” Her voice was light, a tinkling cadence of shifting singsong tones. She sounded rather mad, but kind. 

Hariel could really appreciate the company of someone kind right now. “Uhm hi, who are you?” “Oh yes, I suppose you haven’t met me yet. My name is Luna Lovegood. Most people call me Loony though.” Came the airy answer. Hariel was surprised that she didn’t seem to resent the cruel nickname at all. 

“That sounds... mean. I think I will just call you Luna.” She answered carefully. The blonde smiled at her, wide and sincere. “That is very kind.” She tilted her head to the side. “Hariel Potter... don’t trust the old bumblebee. He has gone rather astray in his old age." With that whimsical statement, the girl stepped into the owlery. 

Hariel blinked at her, confused, then she shrugged her shoulders and turned around. 

Smearing out the runes to disrupt the magic, the green-eyed witch began the long descend back to ground level. Idly wondering about the strange girl. Kind though... she’d probably make a better friend then all those ‘normal’ cruel students. 

Friendship reminded her of Ryoma, warm golden eyes and a quiet laugh. Tennis as well... She missed tennis immensely. The sport was the perfect balance of physical strength and speed, mixed with a mental challenge. It was exhilarating, at least against skilled opponents. 

Quidditch had been fun in the beginning as well, but with all the pressure and danger... When her captain had told her to get the snitch or die trying she had lost her love for the sport. 

She still liked to fly, loving the freedom of the open sky, but the sport was mired in betrayal, pressure and the fame which she despised. It had always been flying which had driven her to Quidditch and eventually she figured out that it was only the freedom of the sky which she loved. 

That her so-called captain had pressured her so immensely had just turned her even further away from the sport. Until her hatred outgrew any possible love she might have once had for the famed Wixen sport. 

* * *

Hariel watched, her expression detached, as Hermione shot her an apologetic look as she went after Ron again. Something soft, something young, curled up inside of her and keened highly. 

The petite girl wandered off towards the room of requirement. Focusing on a tennis court she summoned the room with her own racket inside. She stepped onto a familiar court, an exact replica of the tennis court she had first met Ryoma in. 

Picking up her emerald green racket she turned towards the training machine and starting hitting the tennis balls coming towards her. 

The familiar burn of moving beyond her limits was heating up her blood, grounding her in her body and the present. Swinging her racket and hitting the familiar yellow spheres back to the wall over and over again helped her pull herself back together. It calmed her immensely. 

Eventually she sank down onto the ground. Breathing heavily, she gripped her racket, watching and finally really feeling her own hands gripping the black tape. She was finally at peace with herself. Tennis was always a way back to herself. 

* * *

Spotting her beloved owl flying towards the window of the dorms, she opened the metal and glass construct and flung out an arm for Hedwig to land on. The intelligent owl gently settled onto Hariel’s arm, careful of her own razor-sharp talons. 

Petting the owl softly, she untied the letter. “Thanks Hedwig." She murmured softly to her friend. Sharp golden eyes looked back at her, as the white bird ‘walked’ up her arm, claws curving around her shoulder to softly preen her hair. She spent some time petting the fierce white avian, praising her for being an amazing friend. 

Hedwig preened her hair until it was as neat as it was going to get. Then she hooted softly and launched herself out of the still open window. She watched the elegant white shape gliding away through the air, then she shut the window. 

Hariel flopped onto her bed, drawing the curtains. She was scared of opening the letters. She bit her lip, afraid to read it. What if Ryoma didn’t believe her either. Her magic whirled again, as if in protest. It was attached to Ryoma and always had been, since the day they met. 

Distantly she also hoped that Sirius wouldn’t be mad. He was the only parent she had ever had. His warm dark magic had always been tied to her core, but she hadn’t known. It had flickered back to life when she met him, strengthening the godparent bond. Like always, the bond hummed comfortingly. Mindlessly she stared at the canopy of her bed. 

Runes were scrawled all over it. One of the first projects they ever did for Ancient Runes was to create a nightlight. Just runes for light and energy which could easily be charged. Fascinated by the symbols and loving the idea of magic the trace could never pick up on, Hariel had dived in with fervour. 

This was one type of magic which the Dursley’s couldn’t ever take away from her. Instead of the simple white glowing runes most students had ended up with, her rune set glowed a soft violet. Runes just made sense to her, you needed a fairly black sense of humour because the runes contained both their meaning and their inverse all at once. 

Their meaning clicked for her, shaping the chains was a careful balancing act, but with her magic pulling at some runes and skittering away from others whenever she was creating arrays, it was fairly easy for her. She had never heard anybody else mention their magic getting involved in the process though... 

Sighing she curled up on her side, clutching the torn open envelopes and letters in her hands. Deciding to face her fears, she read the letter. A finger trailing beside the sentences as her eyes devoured the characters on the pages. 

She sighed in relief, smiling softly. Ryoma believed in her. Her stoic friend even admitted that he missed her. In the post script his parents had written that she was always welcome with them and asked her if she needed help. 

Tears splashed onto the parchment, she probably needed more help than anybody could give. She was happy they offered, even if she would probably never take them up on it. 

When the tears stopped, she put the letter to the side, opening the one her godfather had sent. She almost snorted out loud, the silly man had apparently almost broken into Hogwarts again just to hug her. He believed her, and encouraged her to hex any idiots who questioned her. 

“Sirius..." The name was whispered lowly, and Hariel smiled in the dark, emerald green devouring the stories trapped in the pages. Names like Lily-flower and toerag, pranks and fights and friendship. Her mom and dad... 

* * *

Hazy green eyes stared blankly without seeing. The tiny witch was trying to come to terms with the utterly fucked up situation she had just fled from. 

Finally letting go of the soft white fabric, the green-eyed girl sank back against the mattress. She had told the professors that she had broken the contract. Told them about the hooks on her core fading, the way the ancient magic had judged her. They had informed her sternly that it was impossible and that she had to compete. 

“Don’t try to back out now Miss Potter. Even if I am against a minor competing in this tournament, you entered yourself and are magically bound to compete. You’ll have to see it through." Professor McGonagall had said sternly, as she frowned down at her. 

Hariel hid her face, arms curled around her knees, trying to disappear as she curled into a small ball. Nobody believed in her. Everybody looked at her like she just wanted attention. It felt like the entire school despised her for one reason or another. Students were cursing and jinxing her in the corridors and no professor ever spoke up, all of them turning a blind eye. 

Hermione was spending all of her time with Ron, trying to mend the bridge between them. Hariel had just stared at her blankly when she’d tried to explain herself, she was in no way willing to ever consider him a friend again. In her eyes, he wasn’t trustworthy. That Hermione stayed friends with him felt a lot like a knife was being plunged into her back. She missed the brunette, for all that she was only six-feet away, slumbering in her own bed. 

Alone and tired, she blankly stared at nothing at all, not taking in anything as her mind whirled and spun, trying to find a way to get out of this situation. It was hard, being surrounded by people who didn’t see her as a person. She hated being the Girl-Who-Lived, nobody else was judged by these towering standards. 

Hariel wondered if learning about magic was really worth all this... 

* * *

The petite green-eyed witch was running. The burn in her muscles was steadying in a very real way. Grounding perhaps. She was jogging on the edge of the Forbidden Forest. Nobody came here, so it was perfect. She blinked in confusion when she spotted the strange blonde girl from the owlery. Well, almost nobody came here apparently. 

“Luna." She greeted softly. Then she glanced at the pale toes gripping into the earth. “Where are your shoes?” 

The Ravenclaw, the bronze-blue scarf gave it away, looked at her happily. “Hi Hariel Potter.” Hariel interrupted her with a raised eyebrow. “Just Hariel is fine.” She stated kindly. “Hariel...” Luna whispered the name with something strangely like reverence. “Sometimes my things go mysteriously missing.” 

She tossed another bloody chunk of meat at the black death horses gathered around her. Hariel stared at the wings, wondering what they were. The quirky blonde, dressed in several clashing layers noticed her wandering gaze. “They are called thestrals. Nobody likes them much, they are linked with death you see. But they are really very kind.” 

The Gryffindor hummed. “I believe in you.” Her green gaze flitted to the other witch. In a thick voice she mumbled back awkwardly. “Thanks.” The blonde Ravenclaw hummed. “You must tell me all about Japan one day. I rather suspect the country is more welcoming than England. They don’t have an infestation of Nargles after all...” 

Hariel stared at her vaguely. “Don’t stay here too long Hariel. While I rather like seeing you, I don’t think Hogwarts is being very nice to you." Whispering at the very edge of her own magic, she could feel the whirling tides of Luna’s core. The blonde’s magic was... wild, far less controlled than most people and with an eerie flickering, as if her magic phased in and out of existence. 

Something told her that she was important, to pay attention. That it wasn’t just strange rambling but a warning... 

* * *

Blinking up at a white ceiling Hariel took stock of her surroundings. She was in the hospital wing. Trying to remember what happened she attempted to sit up. Her right arm was held in a stasis field though, preventing her from moving. Bloody red spirals were carved into the pale flesh. She was drawing a blank, something in her mind shying away from the memories, as if she might not want to remember... 

“Did Luna know?" She muttered to herself. The blonde didn’t seem like the type to organise an ambush and she had actually warned her. Slowly, like bubbles floating to the surface, another idea bubbled up. Seer... 

Madam Pomphrey bustled towards her. Pulling her thoughts away from the mysterious sweet Ravenclaw. “You were attacked Miss Potter. Some of the students were... disgruntled with you. They broke your ribs and your arm, they knocked you unconscious." 

Unlike before, the matron of the hospital wing didn’t seem to regard her warmly anymore. Hariel guessed bitterly that the medi-witch probably thought she was a liar as well. 

“I gave you a dose of skelegrow for your ribs, but the break in your arm was caused by a curse and will take a while longer to heal, since magic won’t affect the cursed bone. The spiral cuts which were also caused by the curse will scar. You will have to stay in bed for several days, I need to monitor you." 

The raven watched dispassionately as the grey-haired woman walked away. 

Flat green eyes peered out from behind long black hair. Mechanically she ate her breakfast. Staring blankly at the white walls of the hospital wing as the hours passed. 

Hermione flew into the room hours later, heart in her throat. When they’d heard that Hariel had been attacked, Ron had only scoffed saying that she deserved it. 

The brunette had slapped him. “We are not friends anymore, I don’t ever want to talk to you again." She had spit out in her anger. Blue eyes had widened in regret but it had been too late. Hermione had stormed off. 

The amber-eyed witch stared at her best friend. She looked so pale and tiny in the immense hospital bed. Breakable. She sank into the chair at her side, gently holding her tiny hand. For all the force of her personality, the witch was very small, the smallest student in their year, and wasn’t that suspicious... “I’m so sorry, Hariel.” She whispered. 

Blank green eyes fluttered open. “Mione?” The raven whispered softly. The Gryffindor witch nodded. “Hariel... I’m so sorry. I should have been there for you. I slapped Ron, I can’t believe I wasted so much time trying to get him to see reason.” 

Something inside her cracked, at the words she had wanted to hear so badly. She curled around Hermione’s hold, crying in great heaving sobs. “I missed you.” She muttered through her tears. 

The wavy-haired brunette swallowed thickly. “I missed you too. You are my best friend and I’m sorry I wasn’t here for you.” 

The raven only cried harder. Hermione sighed, patting the dark messy curls of the powerful witch. “Shh, you’ll be okay Hariel...” 

The broken girl cried herself to sleep, huddled against her friend. 

* * *

“Hello Hariel." The singsong voice of her visitor was a welcome reprieve from the mind-numbing white walls. For a hospital wing, if felt far too much like a prison. 

“Hey Luna.” There was a pause, before Hariel couldn’t hold back her curiosity anymore and decided to just ask. “Are you a seer?” It was an outlandish idea. Nobody would have ever thought about it, certainly not as the first option for explaining Luna’s strange message. It just felt so right though... 

Silvery-grey eyes met hers. Then she nodded slowly. “You aren’t as blind as most wixen. You’ll need sharp eyes soon. The bumblebee wants to keep you, but you aren’t supposed to be here.” Hariel blinked, trying to make sense of the strange warning. The confirmation was nice though, it certainly explained the blonde’s strange magic, as if it wasn’t quite anchored in the time-stream. 

“What do you mean?” The raven asked curiously. Luna’s pale hand gently patted hers, then she set a crown of bluebells encased in glass on her head. A strange but lovely gift, the weight of the crown a reassuring sensation. “You look pretty Hariel.” 

Luna set down a dairy on her dresser. “Write to me alright?” For a second there was a vulnerable expression on the blonde’s face. “I... I would like to be your friend.” 

Then, in a whirl of blue-pink-purple fabric she was gone. 

* * *

It took her several days before she felt remotely ready to look at her arm again. The sight of the bloody wounds, the deep red of fresh beads of blood welling up was just too jarring. 

Ice spread through her veins as if shielding her from the pain as she looked at the cuts spiralling from the top of her hand to halfway up her upper arm. Slowly she traced one of the bloody red lines from the back of her hand all the way past her elbow. A drop of blood gathering on the tip of her finger. Watching it fall on the pristine white sheet felt a little like watching a train wreck. 

She couldn’t stop it and she couldn’t wrench her gaze away either. Hermione swallowed, horrified when she saw the full extent of the injury. She clasped Hariel’s other hand tightly. 

“You can’t stay here.” Emerald eyes found hers, widening in shock. Hermione bravely forged on. “Hariel... you can’t stay at Hogwarts. You... you are not safe here. I don’t want anything to happen to you...” 

The petite witch swallowed. Hermione was right, why should she stay. “I... I want to see Ryoma.” She finally whispered, voice coming out thin and soft. Hermione’s eyes softened, Hariel had told her about her best friend. She was happy that her best friend had family. Despite the way the green-eyed witch had described him, she had realised soon enough that Ryoma wasn’t just Hariel’s best friend... He was her family. 

“Then go. I don’t want you to get hurt, and even though I will miss you... you need to leave.” Hariel hugged her friend tightly. “Japan, Echizen Ryoma.” She whispered in Hermione’s ear, knowing that the brilliant girl wouldn’t need anything more to be able to find her eventually. 

Without waiting for permission, she fled the hospital wing. The door swinging shut behind her with a decisive click. 

In a daze she walked to the tower, feeling like a ghost haunting the corridors as she simply drifted past paintings and suits of armour and other students, none of it making an impact on her. She gathered her belongings and destroyed the runes on her bed. Those sequences were hers, and nobody would get a trace of her magic if she could help it. 

Climbing out of the portrait hole, she started walking again. Nobody stopped her, some students were even ‘subtly’ jinxing her but the stinging pain didn’t even register to her. The only thing spinning through her mind was the indecision. Was she doing the right thing? Would Hermione be alright here, by herself? Would Luna? The petite younger witch was bullied severely... 

She climbed up to the owlery, Hedwig was her familiar, her beautiful girl. There was no way she was leaving her behind. 

She ascended the stairs to the high tower in a daze, something niggling in the back of her mind. Wrong, wrong, wrong... something is wrong. The feeling was like a sharp staccato beat pulsing like a warning. Her magic flaring hot and hard out of her control, her gift always had been exceptionally independent. 

Wide green eyes stared at the broken form of the white avian. Her Hedwig... her familiar. Her friend... dead. Devastated she fell to her knees besides the bloody corpse. She’d been murdered, knives pinning her wings to the ground, wide spread in a mockery of flight. 

She pulled the knives out of the broken wings achingly slow, discarding the metal to the side to cradle the small body. Her tears splashed onto the white feathers gently, as she stared ahead without seeing, just like Hedwig’s glassy golden orbs. 

I can’t take her along, but... I don’t want to bury her here... she was murdered here. Hariel pulled out her wand, taking only a single feather, she set the beautiful bird ablaze. Watching as the magical fire slowly released her into the air, not even ashes remaining. The grief and the rage were bubbling in her heart, but the ice was comfortingly cool and shielded her. 

She couldn’t afford to break down here. 

She struggled to put one foot in front of the other, Hedwig’s sole remaining feather almost burning clenched in her hand. She walked towards the Forbidden Forest. Students jeering at her and one of them even mockingly asking where her owl was. In a flare of rage she had cursed him, the seventh year Gryffindor, a well-known bully. She broke both of his legs and nearly burned his arm off. 

Before anybody could think to call the professors, she had left, rage already fading back into numb grief. 

Empty green eyes stared up at the castle which had once been her home. Stoically she broke her wand, letting the wood fall to the ground. She could simply no longer be bothered to hold on to the pieces. Along with her wand, the small magical tie binding her to Hogwarts as a student, was burned away from her core with prejudice. If she had any say in it, she was never coming back. 

Gently petting a thestral, the petite witch climbed onto the back of the black leathery creature. “Diagon Alley please." She stated softly. As the thestral gained height, she leaned her forehead against the cold neck of the winged death horse. She never looked down. She never looked back. 

* * *

Cautiously approaching a teller at the Gringotts Bank, she stared up at the tiny being behind the high counter. “Name?" The goblin demanded impatiently. “Hariel Potter." She stated quietly. “Key?" The goblin demanded irritably. “I don’t have my key." The goblin stared at her with a raised eyebrow, incredulous. “Then go the security office." She stuffed her hands into the pockets of her jeans, trying to find the afore mentioned office. 

She entered the room quietly. The goblin behind the desk looked up as she approached. “I don’t have my key." The goblin merely nodded and offered some parchment. “Three drops of blood." 

Pricking her finger with the offered dagger, she watched the ruby liquid drip onto the parchment. For a moment nothing happened, and then the red blood started flowing over the parchment, turning into words. With a small light flash three keys appeared. 

“These will invalidate all previous keys." She merely nodded. Good. 

Fifteen minutes later, she stood outside again on the white marble steps. A correspondence box safely tucked into her miniaturized trunk. Halfway in shock about the size of her fortune. 

Why had nobody ever told her? Why had Dumbledore never given her the keys? 

Credit card and some cash money in hand, she hurried of towards the airport. 

* * *

A tiny brunette child ran towards a small boy with green highlights in his black hair. “Ryoma!!" She shrieked, excited. Her own hair was a black so deep that it shone blue under the sun. Her emerald green eyes were focused on the sleeping boy besides the tennis court. 

Golden cat eyes blinked up at the tiny figure, a smile slowly appearing as the little girl ran towards him. She threw herself right on top of him. He exhaled softly as the breath was knocked out of him. “Hariel." He stated quietly, gently embracing the excited girl. “What’s going on?" 

“I can finally get my own racket." She answered, green eyes shining with happiness. “I worked really hard and earned lots of money, I did chores for lots of people." Ryoma frowned minutely, not happy that his friend, his best friend, had to work to earn her own racket. Her stupid aunt and uncle had refused to pay for her tennis racket. 

His own parents had immediately offered to pay for her, but she was stubborn and refused to be a burden. He worried about her sometimes, stuck with those people who clearly didn’t take care of his best friend. 

He smiled at her, getting up and taking her hand in a steady grip. “Let’s go. I’m sure oyaji will take us to the store." 

The two kids ran off towards a house further down the road. 

A young man happily picked up both kids, carrying them to the car to go to the shop. “Let’s go, seishonen, bishoujo." The Samurai exclaimed happily, excited to help the little girl whom they’d all grown to love. 

Blinking disoriented, Hariel woke up from her all too brief catnap as the flight attendant made an announcement. Her dream already fading from her conscious mind. “We are now landing at the International Tokyo Airport. Thank you for flying with us." 

Stumbling down the steps in a daze, she left the plane. As she didn’t have any other luggage besides her back pack she could bypass the conveyor belts. She slipped through the crowds onto the street. The warm air of Tokyo hit her like a wall of sticky syrupy heat as she left the cool airport. 

She took the bus towards a different part of Tokyo, then wandered down roads and alleys slowly. Past unfamiliar buildings and parks. Eventually she ended up in front of the temple her best friend called home. 

Briefly clenching her hands, little red halfmoon indents appearing on her palms, she tried to gather her courage. She rang the bell. Her heart felt like it was trying to escape the cage of her ribs as she anxiously waited for the door to open. 

* * *

Ryoma’s eyes widened as he recognized the petite figure standing in front of his house. “Hariel..." Not even hesitating for a second, he stepped forward and hugged his best friend tightly, winding strong arms around her too skinny frame. “You didn’t tell me you were coming." 

Hariel clung to the raven-haired boy. She had missed him so much. Refusing to lift her head, she took in the calming scent of the tennis player. He still smelt like sun and ponta, exactly the same as in her memories. Feeling the heat from his arms around her waist sinking into her cold, too cold body she shuddered. Her magic reached out, densely weaving and twining over the golden-eyed boy in greeting. 

The ice in her veins, which had been building layer by layer shattered like so much fragile glass. She started crying, relieved and overwhelmed and so soothed by finding somebody she trusted implicitly. She pressed her cheek harder against his warm skin. 

Ryoma’s eyes widened when he felt the tears dripping onto his skin. He panicked for a moment, not at all sure what he was supposed to be doing right now. Slowly he lifted a hand and started patting her soft hair. “There, there..." 

Hariel hickuped, laughter pulled out of her almost against her will. “You are really bad at comforting people, Ryoma." She stated softly. Green shimmered over his black hair as he turned his head away with a faint blush. “Hnn." He grunted, trying to appear indifferent. 

Emerald eyes closed briefly. “S-Sorry for showing up unannounced." She apologized, embarrassed by her own reaction, and afraid that she wasn’t welcome here. Anxiety was already bubbling up in the pit of her stomach, making her swallow uneasily. 

Ryoma merely grasped her hand, tugging her into the house before closing the door behind them. “Don’t be stupid, Hariel, you are always welcome with us, you should know that by now." Hariel grinned at the blunt answer, Ryoma hadn’t changed a bit. At his immediate reassurance that she was welcome, the anxiety subsided a little. 

“Oi, seishonen who was that?" Nanjirou asked distractedly, still reading his magazine. When Ryoma didn’t answer he rolled over to look at his son. Spotting the small teenager following in his wake he jumped up excitedly. “Ah bishoujo, I haven’t seen you in forever." Without so much as a by your leave, he gathered the girl up into his arms and spun her around. Grinning widely as he looked down at her tiny frame. 

“Ryoma didn’t mention you were coming." He stated questioningly, after he gently set her on her feet again. Hariel blinked up at him, a little bit dazed. “He didn’t know, Nanjirou-san, sorry for showing up unannounced." 

The Samurai raised a bemused eyebrow. “It’s no problem, you can stay with us of course for as long as you are in Japan. It’s unlike you though, Hariel-chan, to show up all of a sudden." For a moment, his carefree grin dropped. “Did something happen?" He asked softly, the entire Echizen family had a soft spot a mile wide for this girl and they all worried about her, being left behind with those godawful relatives of hers. 

Ever since she had started Hogwarts that worry had multiplied exponentially. The letters she had sent, mentioning giant snakes, escaped convicts (even if he turned out to be innocent) and possessed professors really weren’t helping. Her last few letters, telling them about how the school was turning against her made their worry skyrocket, since Hariel was far more prone to understatement than dramatics. 

“Thank you for allowing me to stay." She bowed deeply to show her sincere thanks. She elected to ignore the question for now, as she wasn’t sure how to even begin to explain what had happened. She couldn’t bring herself to talk about Hedwig yet. The only thing she really wanted was to forget everything that had happened, for all the glares and the curses and the hate and most of all the sudden maddening grief to simply fade from her memory. To stop hurting. 

Golden cat-eyes stared at her thoughtfully, Ryoma was worried. His best friend was far from okay. Those green eyes should be nearly glowing and instead they were dim and unfocussed. Flat. 

Distantly she registered a door opening and then sliding shut, footsteps softly coming towards them. 

“Ah, Hariel-chan..." Rinko said, surprised, as she appeared in the doorway. The woman had clearly just come home. “How have you been sweetheart?" She asked gently, tugging the petite teenager into a hug. 

Before she knew it, Hariel was crying again. Rinko only shushed her softly, rubbing her back as she cried out her fear and her pain. It was just so overwhelming, they hadn’t even seen her in person for several years but their first reaction was still concern, for her. 

In five minutes they had shown more consideration, more kindness towards her, than almost anybody else had in months. Save for Hedwig... who was gone gone gone, and Hermione who had been the one to push her into running away in the first place. It was always affection which broke down all of her walls, being so rare in her life. 

Ryoma came over and awkwardly patted her head again, somehow this only made her cry harder. He was so kind and she was being such a burden. Rinko looked worried as she felt the tears soaking her shoulder. What had happened to the positive, vivacious girl they’d left in England years ago? 

Her letters had shown a worrying trend of dangerous events happening around the raven but she had seemed upbeat and even happy in spite of all of the dangerous situations she tended to end up in. She had written about several wixen, incredibly pleased that she had made more friends. Had she been hiding how bad her situation had gotten because she didn’t want to upset them? 

Eventually Hariel cried herself to sleep. Shivering and curling in on herself subconsciously. Her tears still silently continuing to track down her too pale face. 

“Nanjirou, make up a bed in Ryoma’s room." Rinko said softly, trying not to wake the exhausted girl in her arms. She glanced at her worried son, who was still sitting beside her. “Do you know what is going on, Ryoma?" The golden-eyed teenager shook his head. He had no clue, but obviously something did. Hariel would never cry for stupid, silly reasons... 

* * *

Hariel blinked up at a sun-spotted ceiling. She watched the shadows play, merging and weaving over the white expanse for a long moment. Turning around, she spotted Ryoma peacefully slumbering in a bed. Ah... this is his room then, I think. Glancing around she saw Karupin curled up on Ryoma’s stomach, several rackets and tennis magazines strewn around. 

“Ryoma, Hariel, breakfast is ready." A cheerful voice called upstairs. Yawning, she ventured out of her comfortable warm futon patting Karupin softly, the too smart feline glancing up at her before rubbing his head against her hand. 

Hariel wandered downstairs still clad in a too large red t-shirt and black shorts. Ryoma followed her grumpily, sleepily rubbing his eyes. He didn’t appear to truly be awake, seeming to function solely on muscle memory, Karupin cradled in his arms. She smiled softly as she stirred Ryoma away from the door he had been about the bump into. 

“Ah, Hariel-chan, I put you in some of Ryoma’s clothes, we thought it better to let you sleep off the jetlag." Rinko stated gently, ushering the young girl towards a seat at the breakfast table. 

“Thank you." She muttered shyly, green eyes still too flat and cold for comfort. Despite the soft look in her eyes when she looked at Ryoma, in general her gaze had become colder and harder compared to the warm green it had been, was supposed to be. 

“Itadakimasu." Five people at the table stated in unison. Ryoma tucked into his delicious Japanese style breakfast, slowly waking up. Eventually he blinked and registered Nanako’s curious glances at their guest. The blue-haired young woman was glancing at the unexpected edition to the household subtly. 

“Ah, that’s Nanako, she’s my cousin." He explained to Hariel. “Nanako, this is Hariel, she’s my best friend." Nanako almost wanted to coo at him, it was so cute to see him admit that she was his best friend, even if he flushed at the admittance. He was such a stoic boy, but he obviously cared a lot for this tiny teenager. 

“Nice to meet you." The older girl stated gently. “Nice to meet you too." Hariel returned, bowing her head politely. Breakfast passed with a comforting chatter as Hariel simply looked on, soaking in the warm atmosphere. No hidden hostilities, no hateful glances, just a family, having breakfast. It meant the world to her that she was so easily included in their warm dynamic. 

* * *

Hariel laid her hand on a rune to enlarge her trunk back to its original size. Magic was supposed to be hard without a wand, but with some extra focus the raven didn’t find it that hard at all. Runes were usually charged with the aid of a wand, but Hariel had trained herself out of that from the beginning. 

She considered that to be a weakness she couldn’t afford at the Dursley’s and it had ended up being a boon, since directly charging the runes granted her more control. It taught her to wield her wandless magic with precision more befitting people thrice her age. 

Her magic was... suspiciously easy to wield. She was incredibly sensitive to its currents and moods. She could feel other people’s magic as well, but nobody had ever mentioned anything like that... 

“Ah, where is your wand?" The boy questioned bluntly in the doorway. He knew all about the Wizarding World, just like his parents and older brother. Even Nanako knew. The Echizen’s were squib descended, but their line had never forgotten where they came from. They sometimes ventured into magical districts and possessed enough magic for simple runes and potions, but in general they rarely bothered. 

Ryoma had made his own choice a long time ago, when it became clear that Karupin was likely compatible as his familiar he had bonded with his beloved cat. The bond between them was strong and the Himalayan cat would likely live to be exactly as old as Ryoma. 

He didn’t have enough magic for anything else anymore now, what little he had been born with completely tied up in the bond with Karupin. He had never regretted trading his lacklustre ability with potions and runes for his bond with the Himalayan cat though. 

The whole family had been shocked when she admitted to being famous, and it had relieved her immensely to realise that they hadn’t known about her fame at all. 

“I broke it." Hariel admitted tonelessly, green eyes dispassionately continuing to look over her the clothes in her trunk, trying to decide what to wear. 

Ryoma’s golden eyes widened. That was a very serious thing in the wizarding world, if he remembered correctly. 

“Hariel..." He trailed off, trying to word his question right, for once opting not to be too blunt. He might not care for social niceties, but he did care for the petite girl. “What caused the cuts on your arm? Why did you show up here all of a sudden, what happened with the Triwizard Tournament?" 

He tried, but Ryoma, being Ryoma, really didn’t have a subtle bone in his body. 

Hariel swallowed uneasily, feeling ashamed of her weakness. Her scars were on display and she had barely even noticed until he reminded her because she felt so safe around the tennis prodigy. 

“I... they attacked me." She eventually admitted softly, attempting to appear stoic. “Almost everybody at Hogwarts hated me for being a cheater or something, because the goblet picked my name. It didn’t matter that I hadn’t even entered myself, because nobody believed me. They didn’t believe me when I told them I had managed to undo the contract either. They.. Hurt... They hurt..." 

Roughly rubbing her eyes to try and stop the tears she bit her lips harshly. She couldn’t manage to tell him what had happened to Hedwig. 

She blinked in confusion when Ryoma took her hands in his. Serious golden eyes bored into empty green. “I don’t want to watch you hurt yourself Hariel, I know you didn’t enter yourself into that tournament. You did nothing wrong. Whatever happened, you can tell me when you feel ready, don’t force yourself." 

Tears splashed on their joint hands. “What was so wrong with me that they hated me? Ryoma, why me?" Tenderly the boy brushed her tears away. He pressed a loving kiss to her forehead. “There is nothing wrong with you Hariel. If they couldn’t see how wonderful you are that is their problem. You didn’t deserve this." 

She threw herself forwards, curling up into his lap as she cried, vague memories of pain lancing through her arm in white hot arcs rising to the surface. Ryoma gently stroked her back, curling a supportive arm around her waist. “It’s okay Ri-chan, you’ll be okay. We’ll take care of you." Normally she’d never show that she was upset, but Ryoma was the person she trusted the most in the entire world. 

Tears were streaming down her face, flowing over her cheeks and her lips, dripping down her shirt in tiny rivulets. When her sobs slowly died down, she leaned her tired head against her best friend’s warm shoulder, eyes stinging and red from her crying jag. “Sorry for crying on you." She finally murmured. Her hands clenched anxiously in his t-shirt. “I don’t mind." He stated indifferently, softly stroking her hair. Hariel smiled, Ryoma had never lied to her so the quiet statement soothed her fears. 

She had been choking down her emotions for weeks, suppressing everything and keeping a blank face in front of the hateful crowds. Now that she felt safe, everything came pouring out. 

Changing the subject, because he was well aware that Hariel didn’t like being vulnerable anymore than he did, he spoke up again. “I signed up for the under sixteen division of a tournament that is being held tomorrow." The girl blinked, content with the change in subject, but not yet willing to leave her safe warm perch. 

“That is allowed?" She asked curiously. He nodded, perfectly fine with the petite girl remaining on his lap. He had missed her and still worried for her. There was nothing left of the vivacious girl he had first met so many years ago. In comparison this new version of Hariel was disturbingly fragile and strangely hardened all at once. 

“Most tennis players never try it. I wanted the challenge though." He smirked, looking very cocky and sure of himself. The corner of Hariel’s mouth curled up, she had missed this. His confidence was a balm to her ragged nerves. 

“Can I come and watch?" He nodded. “I don’t mind." They sat in silence for a while. Then Ryoma spoke up again. “Hariel, do you want to play a match today?" He asked eagerly. The last time they played a match they’d been ten, with Ryoma narrowly snatching the victory. He had been incredibly hard pressed to win. Hariel was a very fierce opponent. The tiebreak had been difficult and it had come down mostly to luck, to score that last point he needed to win. 

She nodded. “I... I don’t know if my arm will hold up though, but I guess we could play with our off hands?" She asked, not sure if she was allowed to ask for a handicap from him. They were both ambidextrous tennis players, but just because she couldn’t use her dominant hand didn’t mean he had to give up using his as well. 

“Of course, I want to play against you at your best. There is nothing worthwhile in playing full out to win against somebody who is playing with a handicap." 

Then he paused for a moment. “What is wrong with your arm?" He asked, concerned. The scars seemed incredibly fresh but they would heal well right? Did she need more treatment? Could she not use that arm without opening up the bloody tracks rend into her skin? 

“Ah, my wrist is... uhm, broken." She mumbled under her breath. “What?!" Ryoma pulled her up, ignoring her protests that she had to get dressed. “Kaa-san, oyaji, Hariel’s wrist is broken!" He shouted, as he descended the stairs, dragging the emerald eyed girl behind him. 

“But it will heal, I have a spell on it to act as a cast. Why are you worried?" She blurted out. Nanjirou and Rinko blinked at her. “We’ll take you to the hospital, Ryoma help her get dressed." Then she turned to Hariel, who was looking at them with a tiny confused frown. 

“I’d like it if a medical specialist looked you over, Britain’s healers are known to be fairly backwards." Rinko explained gently, trying to ignore the ache in her heart at the confusion Hariel showed at the idea that somebody would care that her wrist was broken. 

“O-Okay." She stuttered. Ryoma led her back up the stairs, following along to get dressed himself as well as to help her out. 

* * *

Hariel was dressed in a long-sleeved blue t-shirt and white shorts, while Ryoma pulled on a t-shirt and shorts. “I need to use my hand because I want to braid my hair." She stated softly when she saw him frown. “Che." Ryoma pushed down the hand she had been raising towards her long black hair. 

“Brush." He demanded shortly. Hariel easily gave it to him. He started brushing out his friend’s waist long hair, which had a blue sheen in the sunlight. Hariel’s brush was engraved with runes to prevent knots. The slender girl was nearly purring as he ever so gently brushed out her hair, then he started braiding. How hard could it be right? “Tie." She handed the black scrunchy over to him. 

Ryoma had managed a messy braid, Hariel only smiled and thanked him. She was proud to wear that braid, since it was so rare for anybody to do her hair for her. It was rare for anybody to do anything for her at all... 

“Hariel-chan, I need to deliver the paperwork for a court case, so Nanjirou will take you and Ryoma to the hospital, okay?" The raven girl nodded mutely as Rinko patted her head softly. The woman left in a hurry, taking along a small mountain of paperwork. 

“Let’s go, bishoujo, seishonen." Nanjirou said, for once somewhat subdued. A broken limb was no laughing matter and it worried him that Hariel was confused by their concern. How far had the abuse of her relatives gone? 

He ushered the two teens into the car. Ryoma was telling her about some of his recent matches as Hariel watched him with a soft smile on her face, listening intently. 

* * *

Hariel had very politely encouraged Nanjirou and Ryoma to go and get lunch in the city, since she was just waiting until somebody was available to check on her wrist. It wasn’t like she couldn’t handle herself since she spoke fluent Japanese. There was no need to make them wait with her, that would be a waste of their time. She already felt guilty enough that they felt like they needed to take her to a hospital. 

Sighing softly, she got up and walked towards the vending machine. Still pondering over the, in her eyes, disproportionate amount of concern she didn’t notice that there was somebody in front of her. “S-Sorry." She stammered softly, as she finally noticed that she had nearly walked into somebody, managing to spin away at the last possible second. 

“It’s fine." The tall boy stated kindly. With his wavy navy-blue hair and gentle violet eyes, he was incredibly pretty. 

“Still, sorry again." Hariel apologized softly, bowing politely. Then she simply went on her way, unaware of the violet eyes looking at her thoughtfully. It had been a long, long time since a girl simply ignored him. He was surprised by how refreshing it was to be treated as just another person. 

Hariel cocked her head to the side, confused by the pull on her magic. 

Selecting a ponta in honour of Ryoma, Hariel returned to the waiting room again. “Ah." She said, surprised, as she noticed that the boy she had nearly walked into was now seated in the empty waiting room as well. 

“Are you visiting somebody?" The boy questioned gently. She didn’t seem to be hurt. Hariel blinked, a little surprised that the pretty boy was talking to her. “Ah no, my wrist is, ah, broken." She admitted quietly. His eyes widened, she must have an incredible pain tolerance to still be walking around like this, with no trace of tears. 

“What about you? How did you end up in the hospital?" The raven-haired girl asked, genuine interested. The boy seemed nice and despite being a stranger her magic was singing in her heart that he was good. Spirals of her dense magical power were whirling around him as if her magic was attaching itself to him. It was beyond rare for her magic to react to somebody, but she trusted her instincts. 

Seeing her kind genuine face and feeling like he knew her for some reason, he simply blurted out the truth for once. “I’m being treated for Guillain-Barré Syndrome." Hariel simply eyed him with a curious glint, not intimidated by the name. “I don’t know what that is." She admitted candidly. 

“It’s a neurological disease that paralyses muscles. My legs are affected. The operation to cure it only has a fifty percent survival rate." He said softly. Hariel looked at him with sympathy, no pity to be found. “That is horrible." She said quietly. He merely hummed quietly, not really sure why he had even admitted this to a total stranger when he was still struggling to even tell his team. 

She didn’t look away... Everybody always looks away from me, but she... did not. 

“You must be very brave." Hariel looked at him with green eyes which showed a sort of kinship. As if she knew how hard and terrible the world could be. How unfair and casually cruel. But just like him this girl was still unwilling to simply lie down and die. 

“Why do you think so?" He asked, a little bit confused. “Because you are going to take that surgery." Hariel stated, as if this was a known fact. The boy’s eyes widened in surprise. “What makes you say that?" She hummed, staring out of the window for a long moment, grief and anger shimmering in her suddenly too bright, poison green gaze. 

Her hand strayed to a white feather encased in a very thin layer of glass which hung on a simple silver chain. 

“Because you are too angry to simply accept what this disease would take away from you." She eventually stated. The boy was shocked, how could she see through him so easily? Not even his best friend knew just how much he hated the disease that had taken tennis from him and just how determined he was to get better. He had held his frustration, his anger and his fear inside. Pretending, pretending, pretending to be okay, always. 

“What is your name?" He asked, hands trembling a tiny bit as he stared at the girl who had seen him so clearly despite his careful attempts to mask his pain. 

“Potter Hariel... What is yours?" “Yukimura Seiichi." Green eyes met violet. A bond formed between two teens who were both far too familiar with cruel circumstances for their young age. 


	2. Home

Hariel shielded her eyes as she stared up at the hospital, the sun already starting to set. Her right hand was encased in a navy blue cast up till her elbow. I hope he gets better. He doesn’t deserve this.

“ Hariel , what did the doctor say?"  Nanjirou asked. “I have to come back in two weeks to get the break checked. Luckily it is a clean break." The Samurai nodded. “Che, can you play tennis?"  Ryoma asked, focussed as he always was on tennis. The raven nodded, absently  cradling her broken wrist close to her chest, curling around it to prevent further damage.

Nanjirou watched silently, not liking what the instinctive reaction implied.

“I can, though obviously not with my right hand."  Hariel said quietly. She had missed playing against skilled tennis players. She had long since conquered any challenge that could be found in the courts of Surrey and most people in Hogwarts didn’t even know what tennis was. Hermione did, but the girl wasn’t interested and  Hariel could accept that. She couldn’t force someone to love her favourite sport.

The two Echizen’s nodded as Nanjirou unlocked the car.

“ Bishoujo , do you have a cell phone?"  Nanjirou asked all of a sudden. The raven blinked, a little confused at the sudden subject change. “ No I don’t. Why do you ask,  Nanjirou -san?" 

“We’ll get you one, that way you can let us know if you ever wander off and won’t make it home for dinner or anything like that." The Samurai stated blithely. “I have enough money to buy one myself, you don’t need to do that for me."  Hariel shyly responded, unused to being given things, especially expensive things.

“Kids shouldn’t worry about money. Rinko and I will look out for you." Serious hazel-brown eyes met hers for a moment in the rear-view mirror. “We care,  Hariel -chan.  So let us do this for you, okay?"

Her eyes widened, as she nodded timidly. “Thank you." She whispered.

* * *

Hariel pocketed her keys, a sketchbook and a pencil. Then she started jogging. Always being hunted by Dudley and his gang had made sure that she ran multiple times a week in primary school, desperate to get away. That it made her feel free and helped build stamina for tennis meant that she kept running. In her avoidance of almost every single human being at Hogwarts the last few weeks she was there, she had started running for longer and longer stretches of time.

She ran through the unfamiliar streets as the sun started to rise. Houses passed her by, other people passed her by and all the while nothing touched her.

It felt like everything just ceased to matter when she was running, as if none of her problems could catch her like this. She knew that wasn’t true of course, but the feeling of freedom was addicting.

When she eventually came across a  river she looked at the sun sparkling over the water and instantly decided that this would be a part of her new route from now on. She took out her sketchbook and started drawing. Shading the water in pencil and adding little details to try and capture the quiet wonder of the glimmers of light refracting in the water in quick-silver flashes.

When she had been admitted to  Hogwarts she had stopped drawing, taken in by the magic and the amazing new world. Spending all of her time trying to learn more magic.

When Hogwarts was revealed to be a haunted horror house with a thin layer of normalcy painted over  it, she picked it back up. It might not be magic, but she was good at this and she loved drawing. It had been an escape from reality when she was young and that was still the same.

Running, flying, drawing... they were all escapes in the end.

Hariel wondered why her life had ended up this way, that most of her hobbies involved trying to escape reality and what that said about her.

* * *

The petite  witch opened the diary Luna had given her in the hospital wing. Her eyebrows rose in surprise when she saw sentences slowly appear on the first, up until now blank, page. The handwriting was large, curling loops and whimsical dots. 

‘Hello  Hariel . I told Hermione Granger that is welcome to write to you as well in this dairy. I think she is composing a letter right now. Hermione Granger is very kind, and highly logical. I don’t know how she is going to believe in magic like this... Perhaps the  Heliopaths will burn away the disbelief for her one day. Do you like Japan?'

The  bluenette grinned, she could easily picture Hermione’s perplexed expression upon meeting Luna. She was so grateful that she could keep in touch with her friend now... and maybe, maybe even make a new one.

Happily she settled in to write to the two girls. ‘What kind of magic did you weave into the circlet you gave me? It feels... focussed, sort of like an amplifier.’ She was curious. The circlet made her feel more centred. She didn’t feel any malice in the whimsical magical artefact though. It was dripping in Luna’s airy reality-shifting magic.

‘There are mind-magics woven into your crown.' Came the utterly unexpected answer. As Luna explained the  spells she had anchored into the bluebell weave,  Hariel’s eyebrows rose. If a seer told you that you should learn about occlumency though, well she wasn’t going to ignore a second warning from the kind blonde. 

* * *

Hariel dropped down into the seat next to Ryoma. They were going towards the tournament he had signed up for. Sleepily she blinked, trying to keep her eyes open. She hadn’t slept well. She never slept well anymore. Her head lolled to the side.

Ryoma seamlessly adjusted his shoulder as  Hariel’s head finally landed on him. The girl had been dazed and tired all morning as she followed him through Tokyo. It came as no surprise that she had eventually fallen asleep, lulled by the rocking of the train.

Three high school teens were being rowdy right in front of them. One of them was swinging a racket around wildly.

“ Ne , you."  Ryoma stated stoically. “You guys are being too loud." 

The teen who had been swinging a racket tried to laugh it off. “I can’t believe I’m being told off by a little kid." He said to his friends, trying to save face. A brunette girl flinched when he nearly hit her, again. He ended up dropping the racket when the train shook. 

Hariel blinked sleepily as she was woken up by the sudden shaking. “Bingo."  Ryoma said carelessly, correcting him on his handgrips. She smiled a tiny washed out version of her old smile, because she always enjoyed it when Ryoma was being a brat. Just as well really, since that seemed to be his default state.

The train pulled into the station and  Ryoma softly grasped his best friend’s hand pulling her along as he left the train. Completely ignoring the spluttering high schooler as he went.

Hariel yawned. “S-Sorry for falling asleep." She said, another yawn escaping her as she rubbed her eyes drowsily, trying to get rid of her sleepiness. Ryoma snorted, kneeling down in front of her. “Come on, get on." Hariel blinked. “Are you sure? I can walk." The cat-eyed boy nodded. Carefully she climbed on, sighing softly as he easily lifted her up. 

He had shifted his tennis bag to rest against his chest, so that he could hold her legs as she wrapped her arms around his shoulder. “Go back to sleep. I know you didn’t sleep well." Hariel settled her head on his shoulder, no longer fighting to keep her eyes open. “Ne,  Ryoma ..." “ Hn ?" The boy hummed in question. “Thank you..."

Her nose pressed into the junction of his  neck, she was easily lulled to sleep by his familiar scent. “Do you know where the  Kakinokizaka Tennis Garden is?" He asked a girl with twin braids. “I-It’s to the south." The girl stuttered, staring at the long black braid with blue shimmers draped over his shoulder and the sleeping face of a really pretty girl pressed against his neck.

They look good together, I wonder if they are a couple... The girl thought, trying to be quiet so that she didn’t wake the beautiful girl, who had deep purple smudges under her eyes. She’d been relieved when he spoke up on the train, since the racket had nearly hit her several times.

Ryoma nodded and started walking.  Hariel’s warm breath tickling against his skin. When he still didn’t find the Tennis Club fifteen minutes later, he sighed and turned around. He passed through the station again and this time went out of the north entrance. He ended up being late, losing by default.

Normally he hated losing, but for once he didn’t mind.  Hariel needed all the sleep she could get, and he’d never leave her alone this vulnerable.

Ever so carefully he placed the sleeping girl on the ground, deciding to take a nap himself.  Hariel , now deprived of that wonderful heat, automatically curled up against his side when he flopped down beside her.

Dozing off in the sun, he completely missed the girl with the twin braids standing over him, her red-brown eyes staring at him guiltily.

* * *

Ryoma and  Hariel were drinking a  ponta in the sun after their nap, when the high schooler from the train showed up again. As he started bragging about being one of the finalists,  Hariel muttered at Ryoma. “Ne, Ryoma, who is this idiot?"  Ryoma snorted. “I have no  idea, he doesn’t look strong though."  Hariel’s eyebrow rose as the idiot challenged  Ryoma to a tennis match.

She grinned as  Ryoma started talking, being his usual cocky self. He was funny when he was in the mood to challenge someone.

She smirked as she watched the start of the match.  Ryoma was destroying him while demanding that he play seriously, but he himself wasn’t even using his left hand. Not that he would need to against this second-rate player. Hell, she could defeat him and according to her own standards she was incredibly out of shape, having had nobody to play against at Hogwarts.

A girl with twin braids was staring at him in awe. An older woman in a pink  sweat suit explained that  Ryoma was clearly in no danger of losing.  Hariel was kind of touched by the girl’s concern though. In most other cases a match between a high schooler and a middle schooler would be a bad idea indeed.

“He’ll be fine." She said softly.  Ryoma started using his twist serve to chase him off, easily winning the game. The older woman grinned. “He’ll never in a million years win against Echizen Ryoma."

Ryoma looked up at the woman. “Who are you? How do you know my name?" He asked bluntly, as Hariel handed him his jacket and bag.

“I am Ryuzaki Sumire." She gestured to the girl with twin braids besides her. “This is my granddaughter Sakuno. I trained Nanjirou. He called me to mention that you were coming to Seigaku." Ryoma’s eyes widened minutely. “You trained oyaji." He nodded respectfully.

Then he turned around and smiled softly at Hariel, he could see the dark circles beneath her eyes and he wanted to go home so she could rest. He started leading her to the exit.

“Bye."  Hariel snorted at his rude farewell. Quickly bowing her  head, she said goodbye as well and hurried of after her standoffish friend.

* * *

The raven was curled up on the couch, sketching Hedwig in mid-flight. Later she would re-draw the lines in ink, so that she would never forget the fierce friend she’d lost. She thoughtfully looked at all of her coloured pencils. 

Finally she chose a golden shade, which was as close to how Hedwig’s hauntingly beautiful eyes had looked as she could get. Carefully, shading with darker gold and brown she finished colouring her drawing. The rest of her owl was in black and white. 

“ Bishoujo ?”  Nanjirou asked, looking up at her from where he was sprawled over the floor, reading a magazine. “Hmm?” She hummed, still focussed on detailing the wings. “Are you planning on staying in Japan?” Hariel froze. She had just fled, with no plan. She had barely remembered to make sure she could access her money.

She should have expected that question. She couldn’t stay here taking advantage of their generosity forever. “Yes, so I... guess I’ll get an apartment. I should make sure somehow that I can’t be found.” She answered, distracted. Mind spinning with options to make sure that nobody in Britain could find her. If Dumbledore did... he’d probably force her to come back. To compete in that lethal tournament.

Hermione would be able to track her through the muggle world, so she didn’t need to leave any magical trace at all. Luna could come along if they did end up as good friends. She had a good feeling about the little blonde seer.

“Why? Are you being followed?”  Nanjirou asked, bass voice serious and sharp hazel-brown eyes watching her carefully. “I think... that Dumbledore might force me back to compete in the Tri-Wizard tournament. He didn’t believe the contract broke so he’ll likely claim it is for my own good.” Hariel said bitterly.

Adults never did tend to trust her. McGonagall hadn’t believed the stone to be in danger either. Dumbledore hadn’t believed her when she said she broke the contract. They had stripped the firebolt from Sirius as well, not trusting her to check it on her own.

“Who is your guardian in the magical world?”  Nanjirou asked, frowning. “Dumbledore, most likely.” Hariel answered. He was the Defacto Magical Guardian for students who didn’t have one. “We’ll need to get you emancipated. Otherwise he could legally force you to go back.” The Samurai said, he had picked up on some nuances of the law from Rinko.

Hariel’s eyes widened. “That’s perfect. Nobody could ever force me to go back to the Dursley’s either.” She said, entranced by the idea immediately.

“And Hariel,” She looked at him curiously. “you can stay here. We’d love it if you would live with us.” The ex-pro said softly.

* * *

A week later  Hariel was in the hospital for a check-up.  Rinko had been worried about her scars which weren’t healing well. She was sitting in the waiting room when a kind doctor recognized the lingering magic around her scars as curse damage. Being a trained magical healer, he notified her attending doctor that he would take over as her physician and called her into his office. Apparently in Japan they had mixed hospitals, Magicals discretely helping muggles.

“Hello, Miss?" “Potter Hariel." She answered shyly, afraid to be recognized even here. He merely nodded. Then he waved his wand, the cast turning and twisting in mid-air to bare her arm and her curse scars to his gaze. He frowned, and then guided her towards a rune inscribed metal frame. 

The man pulled her arm through the null-zone, trying to cancel out the residue from the curse so that she could be healed. “I don’t know who initially treated this, but this is barbaric." He muttered angrily.  Hariel froze, looking up at him with a deer in headlights look. 

The man merely patted her head very gently. “You did nothing wrong Potter-san, but this could have been healed entirely if you had been treated correctly from the start. The curse-residue should have been dispelled immediately. I’m sorry to say that I can only lessen the scars now, they’ll be clean lines instead of thick ropes." 

Soft blue healing magic glowed around the blood red lines, easing their sting and encouraging the healing process.

Hariel bowed gratefully. “Thank you for all the help, doctor." She murmured softly as he magically redid her cast, the bandages twining back around her arm and then the dark blue plaster was hardening back in place. Her scars had been stinging something fierce, but now the pain had dulled to a soft throb. She sighed out in relief, the aching pain had been wearing on her. 

Bowing  politely she left the office, gently closing the door behind her. She wandered down a hallway, quite lost after saying goodbye to the healer/doctor. 

She sighed to herself, wondering if Madam Pomphrey had known and deliberately left her with scars, or if the British were just very behind on the times. Did null-zones, no magic zones, even exist in Britain? She was fascinated with the runic sequence. It was hellishly complicated but somehow very elegant. She’d never seen anything like it back in Britain.

Runes had been her best subject ever since she started taking it in her third year. Britain didn’t have a lot Rune Masters though, the subject falling by the way side in the backwards country. Most British wixen deeming it too complicated. Lazy imbeciles...

Her eyes widened when she spotted the boy from the waiting room, Yukimura Seiichi, sitting in a bed, staring out of the window. Drawn to him by her magic, which seemed to be pulling towards him, she entered the room. “Hey." She said softly. “Ah, Potter-san." Yukimura Seiichi greeted his unexpected visitor. 

“How are you doing?" She asked kindly, awkwardly standing at the end of his hospital bed.

He sighed, somehow not really feeling the need to pretend with her. She would likely see straight through him again anyway. “The treatment hurts, everything aches."  Hariel’s heart also ached, for him. Though she had never been as sick as he was, she was well acquainted with pain.

Without a second thought and operating mostly on instinct, she settled on the side of his bed. Gently carding her hand through his navy  locks, she pressed her cool palm against his warm forehead. “I’m sorry to hear that." The teenager sank into her side, he felt safe with her. On some level he recognized that she wouldn’t judge him. 

Time passed without either really being aware of it.  Hariel just kept gently patting his hair, while Yukimura leaned against her steady strength, for once allowing himself what he saw as weakness. Hariel, ever so softly, subtly traced the rune for energy on his back. Her magic sinking into the imaginary lines, guided by the idea of the rune. She couldn’t heal him, but she could help carry his burden. If only for a little while.

When she saw that he had fallen asleep, she stopped and slowly curled up beside him. She’d already been mostly on the bed with him and now she slowly curled up like a cat beside his legs. It wasn’t like he didn’t have the space and she was so tired that she gave into the temptation to lie down, already halfway asleep and barely aware of her own actions. 

* * *

The warm golden light of the setting sun woke Yukimura, who blinked in confusion. It wasn’t like him to fall asleep in the hospital. He stared down at the small girl curled up against his leg, he gently started patting her hair when he noticed that she was shivering. He frowned as he noticed the silent tears streaming down her pale cheeks. Droplets clinging to her dark eyelashes.

Why was she crying in her sleep noiselessly? Why silently? What would train that into someone? None of the answers he could think off were good. He tenderly un-braided her hair from the thick braid and started carding his hands through the black strands softly. She sighed, instinctively pressing her cheek against his warm leg, tension finally leaving her tiny frame. The tears slowly coming to a stop as his warm hands soothed her.

It took another hour before she stirred, eyelids fluttering open. Confused for a moment, she stared at the hand carding through her hair, which was unbound now, spread around her like a dark halo. Following the hand up to the person attached to it, she stilled as she realised her position, hoping he wouldn’t get mad. “Potter-san." Yukimura murmured. “Did you sleep well?"

She  nodded, she had slept well. Which was unlike her, as she had been having nightmares for years now. “I apologize for falling asleep, Yukimura-san." He smiled, and this time it felt real. Subconsciously she mirrored it. She was happy that he wasn’t merely masking something again. “You have a really pretty smile, when you smile for real." She blurted out, before flushing and hiding her red face against his leg.

Yukimura grinned. “Thank you." Automatically he started patting her head again. She merely pushed back against him, enjoying the warm gesture before both froze. Suddenly quite aware of their position. Eventually Yukimura spoke up. “Thank you, so much. I feel a lot better now."  Hariel smiled, the corners of her eyes crinkling happily despite the slightly too flat colour of her eyes. “I should say that, I have not slept this well in a long time."

The boy in the hospital bed hesitated for only a second, before deciding that he did not want to take the chance that a third coincidental encounter might not happen. “Potter-san, will you... visit me again? Only if it is no bother of course. I’d like to get to know you."

Hariel looked at him, as he nervously bit his lip. “I will, I’d like to see you again, and you can call me  Hariel you know." With just how much her magic twined around his slender frame, it was likely that she would end up at his side a lot. Her magic had driven her towards  Ryoma as well, and he had ended up being incredibly important to her.

He sighed out in relief. “Only if you call me Seiichi,  Hariel -san." She nodded. “Uhm, can I have your phone number? I don’t want to show up at the wrong time." She asked fairly stoically, a small spark finally coming to life in her eyes. He was interesting. 

He nodded immediately. “Yes of course."

Hariel left the hospital clutching a single piece of paper with numbers on it and a soft smile. 

* * *

“Bishoujo, since you’ll be staying in Japan... Are you going to sign up for a school?" Nanjirou asked casually over dinner.  Hariel froze, she hadn’t even considered it. If she applied to a magical  school she was fairly sure she’d be found and dragged back to Britain. On the other  hand she was sure she’d be incredibly behind in a muggle school.

“I don’t know." She muttered, green eyes widening in distress.  Nanjirou reached out to pat her head. “Relax  bishoujo , I just wondered. You could choose home schooling for a while if you don’t feel up for it." Hazel-brown sharp eyes had seen the way her smiles stretched a little too thin and plastic. How she was always up late, yet awake before all of them... 

“I don’t know what to do. I probably need magical training, but I categorically refuse to return to Hogwarts."  Hariel blurted out sharply.  Rinko merely nodded. “You are not going back. The child endangerment you endured there was horrific. I should sue them." She said viciously.

Hariel breathed out lowly in relief. “M-Maybe home schooling for a while? I think I am behind in the mundane subjects." Hermione’s tutoring could only substitute for so much after all... Nanjirou sighed, pained at her hesitance. What had her awful relatives and those horrific people at her school done that she didn’t think she was allowed to have an opinion. She’d never been this skittish...

“I’ll take care of it."  Nanjirou merely stated casually, trying to reassure her. “It shouldn’t be that hard to find a tutor. Maybe some kid a few years ahead of you can help you reach the level of the schools here. After that you can decide if you want to be home-schooled or go to school in the  long run ."

Hariel nodded thoughtfully. “So that way I won’t have to decide until it is certain that I won’t be behind if I want to join a school."  Nanjirou nodded cheerfully. “This way you’ll have options."

Hariel nodded gratefully, thinking that this was a good solution. “Ne,  Hariel ... where is Hedwig?"  Ryoma asked. The snowy owl still hadn’t shown up and just like  Karupin could find him, he knew Hedwig was bonded to  Hariel and should have found her by now.

Tears sprung in her eyes, which she hurriedly tried to wipe away. “She  is.. She is dead." She forced the words out, spitting them out as if they burned her from the inside out. Hand instinctively clutching the only feather left of her beloved friend. She had charmed it to be encased in unbreakable glass, wanting to preserve the tiny snow-white feather forever.

She wore that necklace, always. Close to her heart.

Ryoma’s eyes widened, as the only one in the family with a bonded familiar only he could fully understand just what she had lost. He stood up, hugging her tightly from behind. “I’m so sorry, Ri-chan..." With the way she was struggling to breath evenly as tears burned in her eyes and she shuddered against the memory, all of the Echizen’s knew better than to ask more questions.

Familiars never died of old age...

* * *

Hariel scribbled a reply to Luna’s strange question. Then she added a paragraph for Hermione, about  home schooling . Idly she drew a portrait of Yukimura, she had mentioned meeting the boy in the hospital and the other witches had been curious.

She was glad Luna had given her an untraceable way to keep in touch with both her and Hermione. She already missed her book- ish friend like crazy, she didn’t want to imagine what it would have been like to not even be able to write to her.

She chewed on her pencil, wondering how Sirius was doing. If the innocent convict was alright. She hated that she had no way of knowing. She couldn’t risk any owl coming to see her here. Nobody could know she was in Japan, or Dumbledore would drag her back, legally even.

* * *

“Seiichi-san, can I visit you this afternoon?"  Hariel dropped back onto her futon in  Ryoma’s room, staring at the sun-speckled ceiling. He didn’t have her number, so arranging for a visit was entirely up to her. Why was this so hard? He had even asked her to visit again, so  surely he hadn’t minded that she had ended up falling asleep on him?

She wanted to ask Hermione what she should do. Only she would be just as clueless, which would then reassure her. Snorting softly to herself, she made a mental note to mention it in her next letter. For  now she would just have to figure it out herself, England was asleep right now.

Grasping her new phone tightly in her hand she stared at the flickering light for a while. “ Hariel , what are you doing?"  Ryoma asked from the door, a little amused at the sight of the girl splayed out like a starfish. “I really don’t know." She curled up on her side, resting her head against  Ryoma’s knee, who had just sat down on his own bed. She gently stroked  Karupin’s spine as the cat butted against her hand.

“ Oyaji is clearing out the guestroom. It’s going to be your room." The cat-eyed boy mentioned casually, playing with the long dark hair spread out over his knees. Green eyes flickered open in surprise. “Really? Isn’t that a bother, I really can just get my own apartment you know, I didn’t know it, but apparently I am very rich." She mentioned hesitantly. Nobody had ever gone as far to carve out a space just for her.

Ryoma bopped her on the nose. “Don’t be stupid, we want you to stay.  Oyaji has been excited and kaa-san mentioned something about decorating with you. Don’t spoil their fun." His eyes softened. “They like  you, I like you. We want you around Ri-chan."  Ryoma watched the blue light dance over her hair for a while. “Thank you."  Hariel eventually said softly. “No problem."  Ryoma answered gently.

Eventually  Ryoma asked a question which had been niggling him for some time now. “ Hariel ... what happened with Ron and Hermione?”

Hariel froze, eyes dimming until they resembled nothing so much as frozen green glass, empty and reflecting nothing.

“Ron and I are not friends anymore.” She stated coldly with a hint of finality, clearly considering the subject closed. Then she bit her lip. “Hermione was the one who said I should go to you. I really miss her. She was my only friend in the castle at the end. I only just met Luna, maybe we can become friends... but for now, I’m still getting to know her.”

Ryoma’s golden eyes narrowed with concern and anger.  Hariel was the most loyal person he knew, so what the fuck had that idiot done? And why had the brilliant friend of his  Hariel send her away from Hogwarts? He listened to  Hariel’s babbling, about a strange blonde seer and her comical questions. Her kindness and Hermione’s research attempts... and all the while, he wondered why anybody would ever abandon  Hariel .

* * *

It was the early morning and  Hariel was running. The world wasn’t awake yet. Arsenic green almost seemed to glow in the dark as the girl ran, the shadows cloaking her and clinging to her small frame persistently. The velvet blue of the night had yet to retreat completely in the face of the rising sun.

She felt like she could run forever, just her and the pavement, her thoughts quiet for once. Her legs burned with effort, a pleasant counterpoint to the cold air she sucked deep into her lungs in greedy gulps.

She made her way towards the river she had discovered on her very first run in Japan. Streaming water always felt cleansing. At Hogwarts she had loved spending time at the edge of the lake as well.

It was still a beautiful soothing sight. This time she didn’t stop to sketch anything, the world still cloaked in twilight making it too hard to sketch. She passed a boy who was hunched over, trying to catch his breath.

She merely passed by, not willing to disturb the peaceful atmosphere. Nodding in passing as she ran like the wind.

If she had looked back, she would have seen him nod back in respect. If she’d been less distracted, she would have noticed her magic reaching out in thin curious ribbons towards the brunet.

* * *

Hariel softly knocked on the door to Yukimura’s hospital room. Even though he had mentioned that she was more than welcome to visit him this afternoon, she still felt like a bother.

“Come on in." A soft voice called softly. She shoved open the door. “Hey." She greeted quietly, not sure if she was supposed to come closer or not.

Violet eyes met hers, and all of her discomfort disappeared. Somehow this boy just made her feel so incredibly safe and understood. “Hello Hariel-san, thank you for coming." He murmured gently. “How are you today, Seiichi-san?" She asked gently, genuinely interested in his answer. 

“Hmm, I am tired, but the pain is manageable today." He answered softly, sad violet eyes staring out of the window. He missed being able to move freely. His parents tried to visit often, but they didn’t live in Tokyo and couldn’t take him outside every day.  Hariel spotted the lingering sadness weighing down on him and wished she could erase it. 

“Can I give you a hug?" She blurted out spontaneously, quite unlike her, but her guard was down because her magic was reaching for him. 

Ryoma’s hugs always made her feel better. She thought maybe a hug would help him as well. She was well aware that hugs didn’t magically fix anything, but they did make her feel a tiny bit better. Sometimes small things like that made all the difference.

Yukimura blinked, surprised. Seeing her red face and realising that she had likely not even meant to say that out loud, he chuckled lightly. Her embarrassed face was weirdly endearing. “Alright." He opened his arms, what could it hurt? 

Hariel sat down beside him and gently hugged him around the shoulders. Yukimura wound his arms around her waist and slowly relaxed against her warm presence.  Hariel leaned her head against his shoulder and tried not to cry. The gentle embrace of this boy was precious, a soft warm moment unexpectedly found.

When a little while later, she slowly let go, he blinked at her with moist eyes. “Thank you." He murmured softly.  Hariel smiled, an old sad edge lingering around the expression. “Any time. Truly." She answered softly. Giving into the impulse to ruffle his hair gently.

Yukimura looked at the girl settled on the edge of his bed thoughtfully. It was strange how comfortable he felt in her presence, despite only meeting her a few days ago. Perhaps it is because the look in her eyes is so old, and so sad. She knows pain intimately. She seems much more genuine than other people... 

Without thinking it over too deeply, he raised his hand and carefully stroked a soft thumb over the dark circles beneath her eyes. “You don’t sleep well, do you?" The question was mild, clearly more a statement, allowing her to decide for herself whether she even felt like answering. 

Precisely because of that,  Hariel did answer. “I have nightmares." She confessed lowly. With anybody else, she would have felt like she was complaining, but with this boy it wasn’t like that. It was like an unspoken rule that they would, could, be completely honest with each other. Neither would judge.

“I’m sorry to hear that, is there anything I can do?" Violet eyes met hers, with sympathy, but no pity. Yukimura hated it when people pitied him and he had a feeling that she was a lot like him. She shook her head. “I don’t think so. They’ll pass, they always do." She spoke as if her nightmares were an old companion.

“Hmm." He hummed, the silence between them comfortable. “Ne, Seiichi-san, are you allowed to go outside?"  Hariel asked slowly. The navy-haired boy nodded. “Only in a wheelchair, but yes. It is actually encouraged but I don’t get many visitors. My friends visited me yesterday, but they were so uncomfortable that I asked them to go. I hate pity." Frustration burned in those violet eyes, loneliness as well as a sense of pride. He was too proud to allow people to pity him and he would rather be alone then pitied. Pity made him feel like he was less than human.

Hariel merely nodded. As an orphan she was well aware that to be pitied was a frustrating thing. “Do you want to go outside? We could go to the park." He nodded.  Hariel crossed the room, and pushed the wheelchair to the bed. Clicking on the breaks she looked at him. “So, how do we get you in the wheelchair?"

He grinned, instead of fluttering about in discomfort, she just flat out asked. This girl was so different from other females their age. She was dressed very differently as well. No make-up, no too tight skirts, no mountain of ruffles. Just a too large long-sleeved black shirt with green symbols stitched neatly down the sides. Her legs were encased in jeans, feet stuffed in combat boots. There was a subtle kind of power coiled in her frame, for all that she looked exceedingly delicate.

“If you make sure that the wheelchair stays there, I can lift myself into it." Hariel, who had already made sure that the wheelchair was going nowhere, watched the boy in the grey pyjamas lever himself into the contraption. “You must be pretty strong." She commented thoughtlessly, watching his arms hold his own weight steadily. 

Pushing the chair out of the room, she walked down the hallway. “Ne, Seiichi-san, how old are you anyway?" She asked, mildly curious as she pushed him through the front doors of the hospital. “I am sixteen. So, how old are you?" He was a little bit curious as well. Physically he thought she was around his own age, but her eyes were a lot older.

“I am fourteen."  Hariel blinked against the sudden bright light. Wheeling the chair towards the park she vaguely stared at his blue hair, watching the sun shimmer over the locks. “Which school do you go to, Hariel-san?" Yukimura asked. He thought that she likely lived in Tokyo but there were a lot of schools here. 

“I don’t go to school." She answered. He blinked in surprise. “Ah?" He hummed questioningly. “ Nanjirou -san is looking for a tutor for me. When I’m caught up to where a freshman should be in  Japan I’ll need to make a decision. Whether to join a school or be home-schooled."

“Tutor?" He asked calmly, intrigued. “Hmm, I can mostly manage with books, but I am from England so I’m probably behind in some classes and possibly ahead in others."

“You speak very good Japanese for an English native." He complimented her kindly.  Hariel flushed. “All thanks to  Ryoma and his parents." She mumbled, unused to being complimented.

“ Ryoma is a freshman, he’s starting tomorrow." She continued out of nowhere, mind still caught on the idea of education and schools. “Who is that?" Yukimura asked curiously. “He’s my best friend. I am staying with him and his parents at the moment."  Hariel eventually pushed his wheelchair towards a bench, settling down on the bench right at his side. She pulled up her legs, winding her arms tightly around her knees to curl up in a small ball.

“So, you’d be a senior then, right?" She spoke up again, after they’d been staring at the dancing leaves for a while, neither feeling pressured to keep the conversation going. “I am. Though I won't be at school much this year." A note of bitterness was reflected in his melodic voice. “That sucks." Hariel stated plainly, she didn’t particularly believe in dancing around the subject.

“Hmm." He hummed. Then he turned towards her, eyes nearly sparkling. “I could tutor you." He tried to stay calm, he didn’t want to look too eager. He was afraid of the too long, lonely days in the hospital. The idea of company, specifically her company was appealing. “I mean, if you want me to. If you can’t find a good tutor."  Hariel turned her head towards him. “You’d be willing to do that? Even though you must already be having a hard time keeping up with your own homework, what with being stuck here?" 

“I get good grades." He stated simply, without arrogance. “It is hard to remain motivated because I am tired and alone, not because the schoolwork is hard." He admitted, staring at a tree across the path. He felt like he was admitting to weakness and even though he thought Hariel wouldn’t mind, shame still burned low in his gut.

“Then, please tutor me. In return, I can help you out with your homework. I can’t do the work for you, even if I could I wouldn’t." He appreciated that attitude. “However, I can ask you the questions and write down your answers if you feel unwell. That way you can rest without falling behind."

He nodded. “That makes sense." He looked somewhat sad. “I wish I could say I won’t need the help, but the doctors already warned me that I’ll only start feeling worse the longer the initial treatment lasts."  Hariel grasped his hand, driven by her sympathy for him to comfort him. “You’ll be okay." “I hope so... I really hope so..."

* * *

Hariel walked onto the campus. She might not be a student, but as long as she only went towards the tennis court that likely wouldn’t be a problem. Standing behind the tall fence she looked at  Ryoma . He was taunting one of the upperclassmen. She snorted, that brat, always causing trouble.

Tired green eyes ringed with deep purple stared at the court. Watching the regular and  Ryoma play a game cheered her up slightly. It looked like the  Seigaku regulars were indeed good tennis players. Even with his twisted ankle that second year, Momoshiro, was a good player. “Ne,  Ryoma , did you have fun today?" She asked quietly, when the freshman finally left the court to go home.

“Ah,  Hariel , I didn’t know you were coming." He smirked briefly. “Yeah, Momo-senpai is good." The girl nodded. “Despite that busted ankle he was easily better than the rest of the Tennis Club."  Ryoma nodded, excitement gleaming in his golden eyes. “I think I will like  Seigaku . Looks like  oyaji was right." He frowned minutely. “Not that I will tell him. He would brag." He seemed offended at the sheer idea.  Hariel’s lips twisted into a pale parody of a grin.

“I found a tutor." She mentioned as they made their way towards the temple. “Oh?"  Ryoma hummed questioningly. She nodded. “Seiichi-san is older than me. He can help me catch up to where I should be in any  subject I am behind on, which is likely all of them. I haven’t exactly been to mundane school lately." Ryoma raised a questioning eyebrow. “Who is he?" He asked bluntly. 

“A third year I met at the hospital. He offered to tutor me." Ryoma looked at her curiously, since that didn’t tell him anything. Hariel, who could be somewhat oblivious didn’t notice anything. 

* * *

“When do you want to start?"  Hariel frowned at the text message from Yukimura. Honestly, she had no idea. “Nanjirou-san?" “Hmm, what is it bishoujo?" He asked distractedly, giggling at Karupin who was hunting the toy he was moving with his feet.

Hariel picked up the cat halfway through his pounce. “When should I schedule my tutoring sessions? I found a tutor yesterday." The samurai blinked, surprised. “That was fast. Did you go looking for one? I told you I could take care of it." He cocked his head. “I suppose the easiest thing would be to go during school hours. That way you won’t miss dinner and you can still play tennis with Ryoma and me in the evening."

Hariel smiled, a tiny curl of her lips, they were all incredibly tennis obsessed. But then, she wasn’t any different. “Does during school hours work for you?" She texted back, patting Karupin until the cat curled up in her lap, purring up a storm.

He texted back with an affirmative.  Hariel stuck her phone back into her pocket and gently placed  Karupin back onto his feet.

“I didn’t go looking for a tutor,  Nanjirou -san, I just met Seiichi-san at the hospital and we ended up talking. He offered to help when he heard that I was looking for a tutor." She belatedly answered as she wandered away.

“I’m going to watch  Ryoma’s tennis practice at school." She called out as she started pulling on her trainers. “Oh, going to watch  seishonen hmm. Try to be back with him before dinner.  Rinko is cooking Japanese." He called back, already giggling away at his magazines again.

Hariel shook her head, she liked the eccentric man. He was  unapologetically himself.

She started jogging towards Seigaku, relishing in the way the wind whirled around her tugging at her hair and clothes. 

* * *

Fuji stared in interest at the girl who was watching the ranking matches from the shade. She was very quiet but something about her drew him in. She was more fixated on the matches then any of the boys. Strange for a girl their age...

Her eyes were emerald green and incredibly empty. A small spark was lit whenever she watched an interesting tennis move, but otherwise they might as well have been glass.

Clad in a long-sleeved t-shirt despite the summer weather, shorts and scuffed trainers she was by no means a girly person. She was beautiful though, with her long dark hair, pale sharp features and big uniquely  coloured eyes.

His eyes kept being pulled in her direction, despite the interesting match between  Kaidoh and the new freshman, Echizen. She wasn’t wearing a  Seigaku uniform... so what was she doing here?

He was impressed when Echizen managed to beat the second year at his own game, securing a spot as a regular in the process. The girl in the shade smiled minutely. When the club ended and he was preparing to go home, he spotted the raven and Echizen walking together.

He seemed to be worrying over her and eventually convinced her to accept a piggyback ride.

Empty green eyes stared dispassionately ahead as the girl rested her head on Echizen’s shoulder. What could make someone’s eyes so cold? Fuji wondered...

* * *

Hariel bounced the ball on the court a few times. *Pock, pock,  pock.* She was trying to get used to using her left hand. Despite being largely ambidextrous in tennis, her right hand was still her dominant hand. Since she was playing with her left hand,  Ryoma was playing with his right hand, to ensure a fairly even game.

Tennis woke some of the fire which had been slumbering in her. The numbness she was still partially encased in cracking slightly. 

She hit a sharp slice service, making the green-haired boy work to return it. They rallied for a few shots.  Hariel used her speed to appear behind the ball, managed to hit it behind him, just out of his reach. 

“Fifteen-love."  Nanjirou called, grinning from the  side-lines . It was good to see  Hariel come alive again.

Hariel was a speed-demon on the courts. A fiercely analytical opponent, she didn’t get angry, she got even. With her incredible eyesight and ability to add extremely tricky spins she was incredibly difficult to beat.

Ryoma grinned in anticipation. He loved playing tennis against her, they were almost perfectly matched. Every point was fought over fiercely and any win he managed against her was hard earned. 

An emerald racket flashed through the air and the ball sailed over the net, hitting the ground only to bounce unexpectedly to the right.  Ryoma lunged, barely managing to return it.  Hariel jumped, seeming to almost float in the air before smashing the ball down with incredible force.

As  Ryoma served,  Hariel ran, managing to return his twist serve by countering the spin.  Ryoma used his one-footed split step, managing to hit the ball into the opposite corner of the court, where she couldn’t reach it.

Hariel looked at his bouncing form thoughtfully. One-footed split step... Her eyes zeroed in on the technique he was using.

It took her three games, but by then she was reasonably sure she could replicate that split step. Starting to bounce she watched  Ryoma’s startled expression. Grinning as he finally served, she used her newly mastered split step to appear behind the ball, cancelling the spin by sliding her racket in the opposite direction, she hit the ball back.

Nanjirou grinned as he watched  Hariel master the split step.  Ryoma was going to be hard pressed to win now... Copying his technique was an excellent psychological attack. It was just bad luck that it amplified her existing talents and melded perfectly with her style.

Eventually  Hariel collapsed besides  Nanjirou ,  Ryoma dropping down at her side. “Good game."  Ryoma nodded. “You too, that was really good, how you copied my split step." She nodded slowly, she was proud of that. “I don’t think I could have won without it, you really improved  Ryoma ."

Ryoma nodded. The game had been fierce and  Hariel had managed to win only after a long tiebreak. As always, they were developing alongside each other. Encouraging growth and enjoying the challenge.

Tennis with  Ryoma was a battle, a clash of wills,  exhilarating and soothing at the same time.

* * *

‘So that is how I won. Ryoma was too shocked to recover in time. I don’t think it will help me much if I play against him again. The split-step does fit with my own tennis though, very well even.’

Half a world away, Hermione smiled down indulgently as the excited sentences flowed over the book. Luna’s wide grey-silver eyes were reading along as well. “Hariel loves tennis very much. Is the sport interesting?” She asked Hermione whimsically.

The two witches had been spending most of their free time together, even though they were in different years and houses.

It had taken Hermione some time to warm up to the incredibly off-beat girl, but she was kind and more importantly kind to Hariel as well.

“I don’t particularly like it, but I do understand why  Hariel does. It’s a physical and mental challenge. She loves the  thrill, I think she has an easier time connecting to people on the court then off.”

Luna blinked her large drifting eyes. She wrote an airy looping response slowly. ‘Hariel... will you teach me about tennis when we meet again?’

* * *

The  bluenette smirked, hidden in the shadows, as she watched the tall regular trash  Ryoma . He was quoting statistics as he ran, glasses glinting in satisfaction.

Fuji frowned, he was missing something, the mystery girl wouldn’t be so content if Echizen was going to lose. His eyebrows rose slightly, observing the first-year closer, he finally noted that he wasn’t intimidated. If  anything he seemed... fired up.

Hariel was the only one who knew, down to her bones, that  Ryoma would win. When  Ryoma started beating back the third-year by the inches, Fuji was the only one who was unsurprised besides her.

* * *

Hariel smiled softly in delight as  Rinko showed her to her new room. “We can paint it whatever colour you like. If you want to add anything, or hang up any posters, we can help you. Don’t hesitate to ask if you want something."  Rinko watched, smiling softly, as  Hariel took a hesitant step into the room. 

“Is it really okay for me to stay here?" She whispered softly.  Rinko hugged the young girl, rubbing her back gently. “Yes, you can stay here sweetheart." She answered kindly. Hariel needed time and patience, needed to be reassured again and again. Like a skittish deer she had to be coaxed into feeling safe.

Rinko was well aware that they couldn’t heal all the damage done to her in a few short days, but they could shower her in love and affection. Teaching her that she was worth it, that she had a place with them, was something she was likely going to spend a long time on. She didn’t mind. Hariel was more than worth it.

In disbelief and growing hope, she spun around in her new room. Nanjirou rested his chin on Rinko’s shoulder as he watched the petite teenager spin in circles. “I think she likes it." He said cheerfully.

They had stripped the room of all the old things left behind. Now there was a new hardwood floor, a new steel bedframe with a new mattress and a wooden nightstand. A wooden closet was added as well. “I love it."  Hariel whispered in awe. They had done all of this, for her. 

She’d never had her own room before. The Dursley’s had only ever given her a cupboard, and when she was finally allowed to sleep in Dudley’s second bedroom it had been made very clear that it wasn’t really her room, she was just graciously allowed to stay there for a while. 

Ryoma stood in the doorway, watching her fall onto the bed. “I’ll take your trunk to your room, so don’t go trying to lift it. You still have a cast on you know."  Hariel nodded.

Ryoma dragged her trunk to the foot of her bed, where she could sit on it if she wanted. She unpacked, for the first time emptying it completely. She felt... wanted, looking at all of her earthly belongings scattered around her very own room.

As she looked around the room, she wondered distantly if this was what it would have felt like to live with Sirius. She wanted to talk to him, to see him. She just didn’t know how... 

At the end of the evening she stared at the ceiling, tucked into her new bed. Amazed that she had a place here.


	3. Echizen Lily Hariel

Hariel stuck a notebook, several pencils and lunch for two into her bag. Wandering of towards the hospital she hummed to herself. The long walk soothing to her tattered mind, still plagued by nightmares.

She knocked on Yukimura’s door, waiting for his approval before opening the door. “ Hariel -san, I asked my parents to drop of my  first-year books. I looked them over, if you are ready, I want to ask a few questions to figure out what level you are in all the different subjects."

Hariel nodded, dropping her bag on the foot of his bed before taking a seat right beside him. She didn’t feel all that awkward around him, his kind nature relaxing her. For a teenager he was remarkably mature.

Spotting the dark circles under her eyes, Yukimura resolved to make this fast, maybe he could manage to make her take a nap. She certainly looked like she needed it.

_ “Miss Potter, I presume that you can manage English perfectly as it is your native language. I can mark that subject as a  _ _ pass, _ _ right?"  _ He asked her in only mildly accented English. She nodded blankly.  _ “I guess you can, it can’t be that hard to gain a decent score in my own native language." _

The Echizen’s usually switched between the two languages at will and  Hariel was the same. Yukimura nodded, he plucked a textbook from the side table.  Hariel tried to answer as best as she could as he started questioning her thoroughly.

M ath turned out to be remarkably easy compared to arithmancy which she had chosen as one of her electives. Essentially arithmancy was math with magic as an extra factor to consider after all. 

She frowned as she tried to answer some of the trickier questions.  Hariel felt like she was failing by not knowing the answer to many of his questions. She still wasn’t good enough. She was thankful that Yukimura didn’t seem angry or disappointed.

Eventually he nodded to himself, marking down her last few answers. “Well, you are actually ahead in quite a few subjects, but behind in Science and Japanese Literature."  Hariel nodded, somewhat dazed but headily relieved that she hadn’t failed too badly. She had tried very hard to pay attention, but she was already exhausted before the review of her academic skills started.

Seeing her head loll to the side, Yukimura put down the notebook. Leaning over to lift her petite form, he dragged her into his lap. While normally he wouldn’t be nearly so bold, he could see that she was quickly reaching her limit and he could easily guess that she was still being plagued by nightmares. Hariel curled into the heat which was suddenly so close, her magic humming comfortingly and soothing her initial instinctive flinch away.

Remembering the  way she had settled down when he patted her hair, he was taking a guess and hoped that physical contact would keep her nightmares at bay.

Readjusting his bed to so that he could lean back, he smiled as she curled up on his legs, face pressed against his stomach. She sighed lowly, nuzzling closer, already half asleep.

He gently stroked her back, trying to sooth her to sleep. “ Wha ?"  Hariel murmured, somewhat confused at her new position. “Shh, go to sleep  Hariel -san." Yukimura murmured gently.  Hariel’s eyes closed slowly and her breathing started to even out.

It was the early evening when  Hariel started stirring. “Hey sleepy head." Yukimura greeted kindly, happy that she had slept without nightmares. He was still carding a hand through her hair in soothing rhythmic strokes.

Hariel yawned delicately. “I-I’m so sorry for falling asleep on you." She bit her lip anxiously. She started sitting up. Yukimura merely placed a hand between her shoulder blades, exerting a small amount of pressure to keep her in place. “I wanted you to fall asleep Hariel-san. So don’t apologize. You looked exhausted, so I’m glad that you slept this long."

Hariel, now reassured that she hadn’t done anything wrong, twisted to lie on her back, her head leaning against his chest as her legs fell apart to lie on either side of his legs. Yukimura twined his hands together over her stomach, keeping her locked in place. “Thank you." She said softly. “I’m glad I could help." He answered, equally soft. 

“Ne, Seiichi-san, are we friends?" She asked  sometime later, still mostly dozing lightly on top of him. “Hmm, I like to think so." The navy-haired boy started braiding her hair in increasingly complicated patterns. “I’m glad. I don’t have many friends." 

He sighed. “Me neither, it is hard to relate to other teens when my life is currently so different from theirs." She nodded thoughtfully, that had happened to her as well, was still happening. “Still, I’d rather have one amazing friend, then twenty fake friends who disappear at the first hint of trouble." She still resented Ron for abandoning her. Was she being selfish by feeling like that? 

The violet-eyed boy merely nodded. “That is very true. Shallow friends are useless. My team does care, but they just have a hard time seeing me like this. They’re not sure how to act."  Hariel hummed, comfortably nestled against him. His answer confused her a little, because how hard could it be to be there for a friend?

“A team?" She asked curiously. “ Rikkaidai’s tennis team, I am still the coach and captain, even if I can’t play right now." He answered proudly. 

She grinned. “I love tennis, if you are the captain, you must be good. Will you play a match against me when you get better?" Hariel, contrary to other areas in her life, was shameless when it came to tennis, the Echizen’s had thought her well. Yukimura blinked, she sounded so sure that he would get better. He smiled softly. “Yes, I will. Hariel-san have you been playing tennis for long?"

She nodded, a soft smile lingering on her face at the memory invoked by the question. “I met  Ryoma when I was five, he taught me how to play tennis. So yes, I’d say I’ve been playing for a long time, even if I didn’t always have the opportunities to play against others consistently." Gently lacing her fingers through his she watched their hands in fascination. “I love tennis, it has always been about friendship for me. It’s a lot of fun to play against good tennis players."

Yukimura stared at the girl who was contently playing with his fingers now. Tennis... for fun? When was the last time he played for fun?  Rikkaidai was all about winning. It was a harsh environment, even he thought so and he was at the top of the  food chain ...

To think that she just loved the game, when did he lose that? He hummed vaguely in answer, still quite stuck on his sudden revelation. 

“Should I call you sensei? Since you are basically going to be my teacher?”  Hariel asked idly, native level Japanese or not, she still didn’t grow up here and some of the details of the culture eluded her. 

Yukimura slowly shook his head. “No, I will tutor you, but I am not a teacher.” He looked at her relaxed face thoughtfully. “I suppose the appropriate suffix would be senpai.” He mused out loud.

Hariel nodded. “Seiichi-senpai then.” She murmured, pleased. She’d never had an upperclassman she could rely on before. In Hogwarts none of the older years had ever helped her, they’d just harassed her. She shuddered for moment, she was almost certain that her scars had been caused by some students from the older years, her own class wouldn’t have  known higher level malevolent magic yet.

Yukimura watched, somewhat fascinated by the emotions so clearly displayed on her face. She could be cagy but her face was less shuttered, her emotions subtly displayed. “What are you thinking about?” He asked on a whim. 

Hariel curled up on her side, face pressed against his warm stomach. “About my old... senpai. They really weren’t worth the suffix.” She eventually said, disgruntled. “My old school was horrible. The older years never really helped out anybody younger and the school was divided in houses. Fierce rivalries just made everyone hate each other.”

Yukimura’s hand stilled from where he had been carding it through her long blue glinting hair. “Does that make you angry?” He vaguely wondered if he himself was a good senpai...

A single green eye peeked up at him as she lifted her head slightly. A fiery resentment burned there. “Yes. I think it is disgusting to abuse the respect of younger kids. I was often in trouble and... nobody ever really lent a hand even though they easily could have.” She sighed, hands clenching into the blankets tightly. “Gossip can have devastating results and nobody tried to correct that. Nobody ever said sorry for calling me a liar either, even when I proved them wrong...”

A warm hand curled fondly around the back of her neck. “Is that why you are still deciding whether you even want to join another school?” He asked kindly. She nodded vaguely. The rampant bullying in Hogwarts did make her hesitant in joining a new school. What if it was just as bad there? She’d been bullied all throughout primary because of Dudley and the magical world with its seesawing between worship and slander was even worse.

“I brought lunch for us.” She mentioned, in a blatantly unsubtle bid to change the subject. He nodded, willing to let the subject drop. “Thank you. You didn’t need to bring anything for me.”  Hariel shook her head, a kind expression on her face, finally levering herself up to sit crossed legged on the foot of his bed. Grabbing her bag and plopping one of the two bento boxes into his lap she distributed the chopsticks. 

“Hospital food is always so bland and disgusting. I wished somebody had saved me from that. It was no problem to bring some food for you too.” He smiled, though he wondered how often she had been in the hospital... “Well, then I can only gratefully say thank you.” Hariel flushed at his sincere thanks, unused to being thanked for her work. “N-No problem.”

* * *

Hariel had been in Japan for a little over a month, when the doorbell rang one afternoon. She opened the door, gasping in shock as she saw who was on the other side. 

Long dark hair, light grey eyes. She threw herself forward. Sirius had been the first person after  Ryoma who she had gotten truly comfortable with. He was a link to her parents, and her magically bonded godfather. Which ensured that he couldn’t harm her even if he tried. If he broke that bond, magic itself would rise up to punish him.

She could feel her own magic curling around the warm dark magic of the man, clinging to it like a small child to its mother’s apron strings.

“Sirius...” She whispered. The innocent convict swept her up, holding her tightly as he carefully scented her. Reassuring himself that she was safe.

“Fawn...” He whispered. Rejoicing in feeling the magic of his baby girl.

Later, bundled into the living room with  Nanjirou and  Rinko looking on curiously at the drifting duo, Hariel finally asked. “How did you find me?” It was a niggling worry in the back of her mind. She never wanted to go back.

Sirius, who had his goddaughter gathered in his arms as he wallowed in her magic and scent spoke up in a grumble. “I used a ritual to track you down through the magical bond.” Hariel nodded. She didn’t think others could replicate that, since Sirius was as far as she knew the only one bonded to her magically.

“I’m so glad I found you again.” The animagus muttered hoarsely against her wild hair. Hariel blinked back tears. She had been missed...

“I heard about what happened to Hedwig. Hermione sent me a letter.” Sirius frowned. “I’m so sorry fawn, I know you loved her, she was a really special little lady.” Hariel nodded sadly.

“I can’t stay  long, I’m still being hunted by aurors.” Sirius grimaced as he admitted it. “I needed to make sure that you were okay though.” He softly brushed her hair away from her eyes. “Do you need anything? Can I do something for you?” He asked softly. He couldn’t stay with her, that would only put her in danger, but he loved his baby girl very much.

Rinko spoke up. “We are already planning to emancipate her. So that she doesn’t have to go back to Britain ever again. She can stay with us and we’ll look out for her.” Her eyes softened as she looked at the tired run-down man. “She’ll be safe here, Black-san.”

The Black Lord nodded thankfully. He had already seen that this couple loved his fawn like she was their own. He approved, he knew that James and Lily would have wanted the best for her. 

“I’ll ward  Hariel before I go, with the Black Family protection charms. It won’t help against everything, but it should make it a lot harder for anybody to track her down even if she uses magic.” He stated roughly.

Hariel tightened her grasp on her godfather. She didn’t want him to leave. “Please stay.” She whispered softly against his chest.

He sighed into her hair. “Oh fawn, it is far too dangerous for me to stay. I’ll leave you one half of a linked set of mirrors and a two-way diary. We won’t lose touch again, and I’ll visit as often as I can safely manage okay?” 

She nodded sadly. Soon she was wrapped up in a  soft ward , the magic lingering on her skin warmly like a father’s embrace. She swallowed against the tears. It was like magical proof that she was loved.

Within the hour, the dark-haired wizard had disappeared again, leaving a mirror, a dairy and protective magic in his wake.

* * *

Fuji stared, intrigued. The enigmatic girl was back again, watching them practice. She didn’t seem to be speaking to anybody and he wondered what her link to Echizen was.

Her eyes were still ice-cold green, though a small spark of life now flashed in her gaze. Deep purple smudges under her eyes spoke of too little sleep and he wondered what had happened to her.

Her wrist was still encased in a cast and he wondered if that had been a simple accident or something more sinister... He had watched how she moved and she wasn’t clumsy at all. In  fact he wouldn’t be surprised if she played tennis as well.

Hariel wandered away from  Seigaku as the practice came to an end. The honey-haired regular had moved so fluidly and gracefully that it was mesmerizing. 

She ended up at the temple to pick up her racket. She greeted  Nanjirou and Nanako quickly and said goodbye in the same breath. Within a few minutes she was outside again, running down the sunny steps. Seeing  Ryoma having fun with the regulars made her want to play a match as well. She walked to one of the street courts, squinting at the sun, enjoying the heat gently warming her body. Japan had a far more pleasant climate than the cold Scottish high lands. 

Pulling out her green racket she started warming up, trying to hit the ball against the same spot over and over again. The exercise meant to warm up her muscles was doubling as way to increase her accuracy.

“Oi, I want to use the court, so get off." A boy with a small scar and angry grey eyes spoke up as he entered the court. Hariel, raising an imperious eyebrow, was instantly reminded of Malfoy and decided that she didn’t like him. “No." She stated coldly.

“What do you mean, no." The brunet growled out.  Hariel calmly looked up at him. He was a full head taller, but that didn’t intimidate her. “I’ll play a game with you if you want, but I certainly won’t leave just because you say so." She countered calmly.

“Fine, but if I  win you’ll leave." He said grumpily. Hariel, spotting sadness and frustration hovering in the edges of his bitter scowl, wondered if maybe he wasn’t actually a bad person at all... “If I win, I want you to tell me why you are so angry." He nodded sullenly, sure that he could win against this tiny girl.

She was easily a foot shorter, had one hand in a cast and a delicate bone structure. Basically, she looked as if a stiff wind could knock her over.

“Which?"  Hariel asked after she stuffed her jacket into her bag, feeding her ponytail through a cap. “Rough." She spun her racket. “Your serve then." Calmly she took her spot across the net from him.

He served, a fast ball which  Hariel easily returned. Rallying briefly, he hit the ball back towards her side of the court before it fully bounced up. “Super Rising." He murmured. Watching as the ball was missed by his tiny opponent. 

Hariel , intrigued by the challenge hit a few balls which created perfect  opportunities for his Super Rising. “Ah, I get it." She started bouncing, using her one-footed split step to react fast enough to return the Super Rising.

Her opponent looked on in surprise as she easily started keeping up with his aggressive pace. When it was her turn to serve, she easily kept her own service game by hitting clean sharp slice shots. 

Hariel watched, surprised, as the grey-eyed boy hit a shot which spun like  Ryoma’s twist serve halfway through a rally. Her eyes narrowed as she watched him wince.

“Ne..." She spoke up calmly. “Are you okay with hurting your shoulder that much?" She asked, eyes tracking him seriously. He frowned at her grumpily. “What?" “That shot... it looks like you are straining your shoulder enough to do permanent damage." Assessing things like that was something she learned from Nanjirou, who had made sure that Ryoma Ryoga and  Hariel all knew how to safely play tennis.

His grey eyes widened. “Permanent?" He muttered, seeming to be in a mild shock.  Hariel looked on with sympathy. “Don’t use it again. You should be fine then, straining your shoulder like that won’t damage the bones permanently immediately, just over a long period of time." She tried to reassure him. 

With him off balance,  Hariel ended up winning their match 6 games to 3. “So... what is your name?" She asked, handing him a bottle of water as they collapsed in the grass. “Yuuta." He looked at her curiously. She grinned, the expression slightly cold but genuine. “Well Yuuta-san, it is nice to meet you I guess. I’m Hariel."

They sat in silence for a while, enjoying the good weather. “So,  Yuuta -san, why are you so angry?" She finally asked, it had been bugging her. He clearly enjoyed tennis, probably loved the sport even, but he was also very frustrated and angry.

“I want to beat my brother." He declared fiercely.  Hariel’s eyebrow rose. “Is that why you needed that spinning shot?" She asked curiously. He nodded. “My brother is a genius at tennis, everywhere I went I was always known as his little brother. Nobody knew my name..." 

Hariel sighed, the story was familiar to her. She had always been second best to Dudley in the eyes of her aunt and uncle. Actually, for them she hadn’t even been in the running. “That’s why I quit Seigaku and now I go to St. Rudolph, I’m staying at the dorms there." She hummed in understanding. “What did your brother say when you transferred?" Yuuta frowned. “He didn’t even protest, just said that if that was what I wanted he was fine with it."

Hariel grimaced, a picture of what had likely happened quickly forming in her mind. “Is it possible that he was just trying to support you?" She posed the question gently, this was obviously a very sore subject for him.

“I guess..." He sighed.  Hariel squinted against the sun, thoughtfully observing his resigned face. “You know, if he is a good big brother, he must have wanted to protect you and since he was being used to hurt you, against his own wishes even that might have been why he supported you changing schools. If he cares for you then it must have been awful for him as well, to be hurting you without even meaning to."

His eyes widened, as if that had never occurred to him. “How does your brother treat you anyway? What did he do during all this?" Grey eyes narrowed in thought. “He... always teases me, but he also protected me from bullies a lot when we were younger. Maybe he really was just trying to help."

Hariel smiled gently. “Why don’t you try and spend some time with him." A sad look crossed her face. “He’s still your family, maybe you shouldn’t allow other people to drive you apart. If he loves you, that is worth more than being seen by strangers as your own person. Why should they matter in the first  place. You shouldn’t have to do anything to be seen as you. It is their loss if a shiny  tensai distracted them from you."

“ Hn , I might." A phone rang.  Hariel fished her new  cell phone out of her bag. “Hello?" “ Hariel-chan , you missed dinner. Where are you  bishoujo ?"  Nanjirou asked worriedly. Green eyes widened. “Sorry  Nanjirou -san, I was playing tennis on a street court and I lost track of time. I’ll come home right away." “Relax  bishoujo , it is fine, we were just worried when you didn’t show up like you usually do." The bass voice reassured.

Finishing the call, she started gathering her stuff. “Well, good luck with your brother Yuuta-san. I hope things work out between you." He nodded. “I hope to see you around  Hariel -san, thanks for the advice. Maybe we can play another game sometime? You are a very strong opponent."

Hariel flushed, pleased with the compliment. “Here, my number. Text me if you are ever nearby and maybe we can play another game, I liked playing against you." He pocketed the scrap of paper she had written the digits on carefully, watching her jog away. What an interesting girl...

* * *

Hariel stared at the papers from Gringotts. Black on white proof that Dumbledore and the Weasleys had been stealing money from her. She frowned, the paper crinkling in her fist. “Hari...el?"  Ryoma stared.  Hariel didn’t tend to get angry a lot, but she was a spitfire when something did rouse her temper.

“Ryoma... they’ve been stealing money from me all along." She said, anger winding through her voice like a particularly insidious danger.

“Who’s they?" He asked tonelessly, golden eyes glinting angrily. “Dumbledore and the Weasleys." “You should get kaa-san to sue them, make them pay your money back with interest." She nodded. “Maybe, I need to get emancipated first though, Dumbledore might very well try to find ways keep me under his thumb if he knows where I am."

He nodded in understanding, the last thing he wanted was for  Hariel to be dragged off by that senile old headmaster.

“Kaa-san can help, you should show her these papers." He finally stated calmly. Hariel eventually nodded. She always tried to fix everything herself, having never had anybody to rely on.  Nanjirou and  Rinko were quickly becoming an exception though, they were always supportive and they had been the only reliable adults in her life for a long time when she’d been younger.

Hariel gathered the papers back into the correspondence box from Gringotts. Then she followed  Ryoma down the stairs towards  Rinko’s home office.

* * *

“Sirius...” She whispered, watching in awe as the surface of the mirror whirled, before showing her the wizard’s softly grinning face. “Hello fawn. Are you okay?”

“I’m fine. I just... wanted to see you.” Grey eyes softened. “It’s lovely to see you fawn. Tell me about your day.” 

Eventually  Hariel confessed to what she had found out about her vaults. “I just, I thought the Weasley’s were my friends. Even though Ron was a jealous git about me being selected I really thought that maybe the rest hadn’t abandoned me. They were just using me...”

Sirius’s eyes narrowed dangerously. “Don’t worry about them anymore fawn. I’m sure you’ll make new friends. Who will stay with you through thick and thin. Like Ryoma, Hermione and Luna.” He frowned. “And in the meantime. I will make sure that nothing else happens to your money. The goblins don’t care about my sentence and they’ll be pleased that I am going to sue them on your behalf. They still recognize me as your magical guardian because the godparent bond is intact.”

He snorted. “If only the ministry was so sensible.”

Hariel smiled at him. “Thank you.” Soft grey eyes watched her face, taking in her smile happily. “Anytime fawn.”

* * *

“Seiichi-senpai."  Hariel greeted the bed-bound navy-haired boy calmly. The smudges were still fairly prominent under her glassy eyes but she no longer looked as if she was going to collapse any minute now.

“ Hariel -chan. How are you today?" He asked gently.  Hariel flushed for a moment when she registered the changed suffix and then she smiled, pleased. “I’m okay, I still didn’t manage to sleep more than four hours, but that is a lot better already." She admitted candidly. 

“How is the pain?" He sighed. “Like a dull ache, it just saps my energy." She nodded. Climbing onto the bed to relax back against the footboard she folded her legs beneath her. “I’m sorry to hear that." She stated sincerely. 

He opened a textbook. “We’ll start with science okay?" She merely nodded. Yukimura somehow managed to make the subject interesting. He lectured her about two whole chapters but with his calming voice and undemanding presence she didn’t feel pressured and easily grasped the material.

He leant back, tired from talking. “Are you okay?" He nodded.  Hariel crawled closer, tucking herself into his side. She felt her magic seeping into his body, acting as a buffer against the pain and exhaustion. His eyes widened briefly as he felt her body heat seep in. Somehow her presence was like a  balm . “Do you want to take a nap?" She asked impishly.

He smiled, she clearly needed one and he could admit he was exhausted as well. “Why not. We already went through everything I had planned for today anyway." Kind violet eyes looked at her with a soft expression. “You did very well Hariel-chan." 

“Thanks." She murmured, face flushed. She wasn’t used to compliments. He resolved to compliment her more often. He wound a strong arm around her waist and they settled together in a tangle of limbs. She yawned delicately, eyes already sliding shut. “Do you think it’s weird how easy this is?" Yukimura asked softly.

Hariel sighed, opening her eyes to stare at the ceiling for a long moment. “No. Somehow you just make me feel safe and I tend to trust my instincts. They haven’t led me wrong yet. It’s like I’ve known you for years." He nodded, since he felt the same way.

The nurse who came by fifteen minutes later smiled at the cute picture they made, curled up together like kittens. 

* * *

Hariel spend the next couple of weeks building a routine. In the mornings she went for a run, then she was tutored by Yukimura. She brought lunch for two to the hospital and ate with him. Then she wrote down his answers after reading out his homework out loud. They napped together often because he was usually exhausted by then and Hariel was still being plagued with nightmares and so needed the extra sleep as well.

Every few days she would have a match against Yuuta-kun, or she trained with him and every evening she played against Nanjirou or Ryoma. Sometimes both.

Early  evening she spend in the immense garden around the Echizen’s house. She loved working with the greenery and  plants she worked with always ended up healthier, stronger and prettier. She sank her magic into the plants to help them grow. It was the only time of the day she regularly used magic. She carved runes every now and then, but not every day. 

Strengthening the flowers made sure that her magic didn’t build up or become restless. Curiously she had watched as the roses she tended to became stronger, the colours more vivid, the petals softer and larger. They smelled like  witchmagic now. An indescribable scent which reminded her of thunderstorms, ash and rain.

She still watched  Ryoma with the regulars every couple of days as well, but she always left before practice ended. She wanted to meet her brother’s team, but she didn’t quite feel up for it yet. She’d had too many bad experiences with groups bullying her.

On this particular day she was napping on Yukimura’s bed, his gentle hands carding through her long loose hair. A quiet knock on the door was all the warning they had before a tall teen with dark hair, a cap and dark eyes entered the room. “Yuki... mu... ra...." He seemed to be in shock at the sight which greeted him.

His best friend was playing with the long hair of a girl who was curled up against him fast asleep.

“Hello  Genichirou ." He greeted softly. He gestured towards the chair next to the bed. Softly he tugged on her hair. “ Hariel-chan , wake up." 

The green-eyed girl blinked, dazed. “Hmm, Seiichi-senpai, is it time to go?" She asked. He smiled, amused by her slightly childish behaviour, which only really surfaced when she was half asleep.

“No, but my friend is here, and I want you to meet him." Her eyes instantly flickered open. She looked at the dark-haired teen who was clearly shocked.

“This is Sanada Genichirou, we’ve been best friends since we were kids." The teen bowed politely in greeting. “Genichirou, this is Hariel-chan, I’m tutoring her in science and Japanese literature."

Hariel bowed her head. “N-Nice to meet you." She tried to think of a way to get out of the conversation, since  Sanada was staring at her, which was deeply uncomfortable for her. Being the centre of attention never ended well for her. “I have to go, I promised Rinko-san that I would be home early today." She smiled softly, the expression warmer than it had been even a few weeks ago. “We’re going to the store to pick out paint for my room." She hopped of the bed and quickly swept all of her books pens and papers into her bag. 

“I’ll see you tomorrow Seiichi-senpai. It was nice to meet you  Sanada -san." She bowed and in a  flash she was gone. The door gently clicking shut behind her.

Silence reigned for a moment. “Who is she, Yukimura? Are you dating her?"  Sanada asked tonelessly. Even if he was curious, that didn’t tend to show. Yukimura could see straight through that of course, they’d been friends since childhood. He shook his head. “No, she is my friend but we are not dating. I don’t think we ever will."

Sanada’s dark eyebrow rose minutely. “Ah." He was still surprised. Despite Yukimura’s gentle demeanour and the kindness he treated most people with, he wasn’t one to get close to most. “She’s special." The navy-haired boy eventually said. “I met her when she was getting her wrist treated, somehow we ended up talking. When I told her about my  illness, she didn’t even flinch."

Sanada nodded. That was rare, it explained neatly why Yukimura was so accepting of her presence but it didn’t explain why she had been napping on top of him. That was very close for people who only met recently. Yukimura who was familiar with his stoic face correctly read the lingering curiosity. “I don’t know, she just feels familiar. It doesn’t feel like I’ve only known her for a few weeks, it feels like much longer."

Sanada hummed. A mysterious girl indeed, the capture  buchou’s attention so easily.

* * *

Hariel stared at the freshly painted walls, quietly awed and happy. Her room had been done in the combination of soothing violet and bright blue which ended up working really well.  Rinko absently swiped away a drop of paint from  Hariel’s cheek. “Well, do you like it?"  Hariel nodded. “It’s amazing." Awe clearly shimmering through her voice.

Rinko’s eyes softened. “I’m glad you like it." She sighed. “I’ve been working on getting your emancipation processed, but as you are a British national the papers are being processed in Britain. Something or someone is blocking the process."  Hariel glanced at her fearfully. She never wanted to return to that godawful country.

Rinko bit her lip nervously for a second. “Hariel... would you allow us the immense honour of adopting you?" Green eyes widened in shock. Adoption... she had never even thought about it. But now that Rinko was bringing up the idea she was quickly realising that there was nobody she would rather have as family then the Echizen’s. 

They had always loved her and looked after her and they were filling the hole in her heart, the lack her parents had left, at an amazing rate. She already saw them as reliable adults she could depend on, an extreme rarity for her. “I... are you sure? You... really want me?" She whispered, shocked.

Rinko gathered her up in a tight hug. “ Of course, we want you sweetheart. In our hearts you’ve been our daughter ever since  Ryoma dragged you home to meet us when you were little. We didn’t want to infringe on the memory of your parents and we consider you to be ours with or without paperwork. You are welcome to live with us either way. Emancipated, adopted, that doesn’t matter."

She sighed, tenderly tucking a stray lock of blue-black hair behind her ear. “I’m asking now because adoption would be easier to fast track as long as we have the Dursley’s approval. It would be a closed case as long as they consent." Hariel burrowed into her embrace. “Yes..." 

“My girl, my baby..." Rinko, who also had tears in her eyes met the bright green gaze of the child she had claimed in her heart as hers a long time ago. “Come, let’s tell Nanjirou and Ryoma the good news."  Hariel nodded shyly. “I... they won’t.... mind?"

Rinko smiled softly. “Of course not,  Ryoma has been begging us on and off almost since he met you for us to adopt you and Nanjirou loves you just as much as I do. I talked this over with him first and he was all for the adoption sweetheart." Hariel nodded. “Okay, let’s go tell them."

* * *

Hariel lingered in the shadow of the tree, watching the regulars do odd exercises as the tall third-year who had been beaten by Ryoma waved a glass full of murky green liquid in their faces. His glasses seemed to be glinting eerily.

She watched, giggling as one by one the regulars ran to the water fountain. Only the captain and the honey-haired regular seemed to be immune.

Spotting the twin-braided girl who had been worrying over  Ryoma at the summer tournament she slowly walked up to her. “Hello,  Ryuzaki -san." She murmured softly. The brunette turned towards her, startled. “Ah, Potter-san." She said nervously. “Y-You can call me  Sakuno i-if you want." She stuttered slowly.

She wanted to befriend the sad girl with the beautiful eyes. Not because  Ryoma-kun was close to her, but just because she seemed lonely and nice.

Hariel’s green eyes brightened slightly, happy that she had made the choice to talk to the shy girl. “Sakuno-chan. Then, please call me Hariel." She blurted out happily. She’d never really had many friends and this shy girl seemed to be very nice. Genuinely honest and kind.

“A-Are you not going to  Seigaku ?"  Sakuno asked softly, taking in her non-uniform clothes.  Hariel nodded her head softly. “I’m being home-schooled. I’m from England, and I am not caught up to the Japanese curriculum."

Soft red-brown eyes looked down  slightly at the shorter girl. “Your Japanese is very good,  Hariel -chan." The green-eyed girl smiled softly. “Thank you." She murmured.

The two girls watched the regular’s practice together, slowly getting to know each other, and finding that they clicked pretty well.

* * *

‘ Sakuno-chan seems really nice, but very shy. I think she joined the girl's tennis club. If I ever go to school it might be fun to practice with her...' Hermione grinned at Luna. They were glad to hear that Hariel seemed to be reaching out to others.

The petite witch had been so isolated at Hogwarts... More  than that, she’d been met with hostility. “She sounds happy.” Hermione commented softly. Luna’s gaze, darkened, silver-grey turning to dark grey in an instant. “She has nightmares though...” The little seer had caught glimpses, and the night terrors were vast and terrifying.

The brunette sighed. “She always does, and she always hides them too...”

Luna started writing a reply in sloping swirls. Purple ink glittering up from the page. ‘Hariel, are you familiar with wrackspurts? They are invisible and float into ears to cause confusion in people’s brains. Maybe Ryuzaki Sakuno suffers from an infestation?’

Halfway across the world, the green-eyed witch who read the runaway sentence giggled.

‘I... don’t think so Luna. Maybe Dumbledore is suffering from  wrackspurts though, he seems to be going very senile indeed. I’m being adopted, because he is blocking my emancipation.' She wrote back carefully.

Hermione blinked, then she picked up her quill. Neat black script marched along the page. ‘That’s not legal. It’s good to hear that though, you deserve a family  Hariel , a family who loves you.’

Hariel blinked, more swirling purple followed. ‘That’s lovely, I’m sure the golden mirrors will look out for you.’

She frowned in confusion. ‘I don’t know what you mean by that Luna-bell, but I’m sure it will make sense in the end.’ The blonde smiled serenely. 

* * *

“Hello fawn.” The grey-eyed wizard in the mirror said happily, taking in the sight of his goddaughter. She wasn’t as worryingly thin anymore. She didn’t look as pale and drawn, haunted, as she had when he’d first gotten to know her.

Leaving Hogwarts was obviously the best thing she could have done for herself.

“Sirius... the Echizen’s, they offered to adopt me.  Rinko -san suggested it because Dumbledore can’t block it, but she also said that they already think of me as theirs.” Wide green eyes stared at him.

Sirius blinked then snorted. “Whatever worries you have been cooking up in that pretty little head of yours, stop. I already knew that they love you like a daughter and I heartily approve. James and Lily would be glad. I think of you as my daughter too and always have and they loved that. James was my family, magically we had a bond of brothers.”

Misty grey eyes looked at her, a sad smile on his face. “Fawn, James and Lily would have loved to watch you grow up, but that was stolen from all of you. This is good, Lily always said that she wanted you to be loved above all else. They would be happy that you’re being adopted.”

“But... I don’t want to replace them as my parents. I love my parents. I feel like I’m being selfish.” She eventually whispered tearfully.

Sirius sighed, wishing he could hug his baby girl. “Fawn, you are just getting more parents. James and Lily would never feel that way, they’d just be  grateful that somebody is loving you and taking care of you while they can’t."

Hariel smiled at him tearfully. “ So this is really okay?” Sirius nodded. “Yes. I’m happy for you Hariel.”

* * *

“Ne, Ri-chan. Will you be changing your name?"  Ryoma asked later the same day.  Hariel blinked. “Is that an option?"  Nanjirou nodded. “It is up to you of course, you’ll be our daughter either way, Echizen or Potter. But yes, it is an option."

Hariel hummed thoughtfully. On one hand, she didn’t want to lose a link to her parents.  However she was also well aware that her name was famous and changing it might prevent people from finding it. She idly swirled her chopsticks through her noodles. “I want to honour my parents, but I also want to belong with you..." She said shyly.

Rinko looked at her thoughtfully. “I don’t think changing your name would matter very much to your mum and dad. If it was me, then all I would care about was my child’s happiness. Last names don’t facture in to that.  Ryoma could carry another name entirely and if that made him  happy I would be happy for him. My bond with my children isn’t dependant on a name. It goes much deeper than that."

Hariel nodded. She knew her mum and dad had loved  her, they’d died for her. Maybe they wouldn’t mind her changing her name... Sirius had said that all they wanted was for her to be happy.

“I... I’d like to be an Echizen." She eventually stated, quietly but with confidence. Nanjirou pressed a loving kiss to her forehead. “Alright bishoujo. Welcome to the family then, Echizen Lily Hariel." Hariel grinned, incredibly happy. 

* * *

“I’m being adopted."  Hariel blurted out the next morning as she entered Yukimura’s hospital room. The gentle boy blinked. “Congratulations,  Hariel -chan." She plopped down onto his bed, a happy smile on her face. “As long as my aunt and uncle sign the  papers I am going to be Echizen  Hariel in a few days."

He gently hugged her close. “That’s amazing. I’m happy for you." She blushed, unused to people wishing her the best. “Thanks."  Hariel’s eyes started sliding shut. She had been so excited and amazed that she hadn’t really slept much, and being near Yukimura was draining her magic. With her sincere wish to help him her magic tended to passively leak out to support him. She was perfectly fine with that, but it did make her tired.

She yawned, the  excitement fading and leaving her to crash. Yukimura smiled softly. “Go to sleep  Hariel -chan. I can see that you didn’t sleep well." He brushed a gentle thumb over the purple splotches under her eyes. “These are getting darker again." She hummed, feeling warm and safe tucked into his embrace. Within minutes she was fast asleep.

The violet-eyed boy gently stroked her hair as he contemplated her circumstances. People didn’t get adopted when they already had a loving family. He hoped this worked out for her. She deserved a happy home life.


	4. Another Pair of Golden Eyes

Hariel was gently patting the dirt around a flower she had just planted. She had been working in the garden and had just finished planting the new flower bed. “Oh, that looks good  bishoujo ."  Nanjirou commented from the porch.

“Thanks. It’ll take me a little longer to clean out the rest of the weeds from the grass, but after that it shouldn’t be that hard to keep up with  maintaining the garden." She said happily. 

The only chore  Hariel had really enjoyed doing at the Dursley’s had been gardening. Though she liked cooking with Rinko, she hadn’t liked cooking for Petunia at all. She had always hit her with a spatula whenever she made the tiniest mistake and she still had a few burn scars from the hot oil which had splashed her wrists when she first learned to cook.

Slowly she sank her magic into the roses, enhancing their magical qualities. Abruptly she thought about Yukimura’s barren hospital room. Maybe he would like a plant? She was there every day so she could take care of it for him. It would cheer up the sad room.

She resolved to find a plant known for healing to give to him.

“Ah, you do know you don’t have to work in the  garden right?"  Nanjirou asked gently. He was well aware that her relatives had heaped work on her too young shoulders and he didn’t want to leave her with the impression that she had to do the same here.

Hariel glanced back at him. “I know  Nanjirou -san,  Rinko -san already told me that I don’t have to do this. I just like gardening." He nodded, that was fine, as long as she knew that it was  optional and not an obligation. “Do you want plants in your room?" He asked curiously. “Am I allowed to have plants?" She asked shyly. He nodded. “Sure,  bishoujo ." He easily climbed to his feet. “In fact, let’s go get you a few pots and plants right now. I don’t think we have anything else to do this afternoon, right?" 

Hariel nodded happily, glad to spend time with him. 

One trip to the store later she was happily arranging the pretty blue pots with several herbs plants and flowers on her window sill.  Nanjirou watched her quietly from her doorway, glad to see her relaxed and happy.

He watched curiously as she started etching runes into the flower pot. “What do those runes mean?"  Hariel hummed as she worked. “Well, these are just energy and strength runes, to help the plants grow. You can do just about anything with runes though." The samurai nodded, watching her slowly charge the runes until they glowed a steady violet.

A little while later the green-eyed girl spoke up again, voice soft. “ Nanjirou -san, can I paint runes on the ceiling?" The samurai nodded. “Sure bishoujo, just make sure that you add an invisibility ward keyed to mundane people if you animate them or make them glow, or anything overtly magical like that." She nodded, that made sense, if she ever did manage to make friends and they happened to be mundanes, it wouldn’t do to scare them half to death with a glowing magical ceiling.

* * *

The bell rang. “I’ll get it."  Hariel called softly as she made her way to the front door. She stared, surprised, as she recognized the person on the other side. “ Ryoga -san..." She whispered. Then she reached out to hug him, smiling happily as she wound slender arms tightly around his waist.

Golden eyes set in an older version of  Ryoma’s face widened in surprise. “ Chibi .... - chan ?" He whispered, surprised. 

Then he swept her up in a hug, twirling her around in delight. “I didn’t know you’d be here." She tugged him along as soon as he put her back down on her feet. “ Ryoga ..."  Nanjirou murmured, spotting his oldest son as he was dragged into the room right behind Hariel. The two making for a comical sight as the tiny teenager towed the tall young man behind her easily.

“ Yo ,  oyaji ." The older copy of  Ryoma stated semi-casually.  Hariel noticed his tightly clenched hands and wondered what had happened. The last time she had seen them in England  Ryoga had still been living with the Echizen’s.

Nanjirou gathered the young man in a tight hug. “I’ve missed you." He stated lowly. Golden eyes widened, as if surprised by that. “Ah." He clung to his father. Feeling safe in the shelter of the strong arms that had picked him up whenever he fell for most of his childhood. He had missed his family intensely. 

“Ryo...  ga-nii ?"  Ryoma stood in the doorway, face a mask of shock. As  Ryoga gathered him a tight hug he clung to his big brother. “Where have you been, idiot?" He muttered resentfully, pressing his cheek harder against his big brother’s chest. Ryoma was not good with emotions.

“Around, I am going to university now." The young man answered gently, familiar with his baby brother’s antagonistic personality. “Why didn’t you stay in touch?" The younger brother asked angrily. He had missed his older brother a lot, but he was also mad over being abandoned. 

“My aunt said you didn’t want me anymore."  Ryoga eventually confessed lowly. It had taken all of his courage to even show up here. He had thought that Nanjirou had just send him away, but maybe that hadn’t been the case...

The samurai looked angry, focussed golden eyes almost spitting fire. “Your aunt is a lying cunt then." He snarled,  Hariel watched wide-eyed as the usually laidback, relaxed man got truly angry. “I fought for you, I sued for custody, there were court battles. She threatened me with a restraining order to keep me away from you."

Ryoga’s world was crashing, but instead of pain it felt like freedom. He was loved...

Hariel’s world was crashing, but instead of freedom she felt fear. Angry adults had always been a threat. Nothing good came out of an adult getting angry in her experience. Flashes of being hit, of old pain and resentment played in her mind like a horror movie. 

Ryoma, spotting the ghostly white pallor of his best friend turned little sister immediately curled a supportive arm around her and then turned them around to slap Nanjirou. “Oi,  oyaji , calm the fuck down. You’re scaring Ri-chan." He stated loudly.

As if he had been doused in cold water the anger fled from  Nanjirou just as fast as it had formed.  Ryoma was softly rubbing her back, trying to support her as her legs started trembling. Unable to carry her any longer, her legs collapsed beneath her and she would have fallen if  Ryoga hadn’t caught her small frame easily.

“Hey  chibi -chan." The young man said softly, gently cuddling her closer. “It’s okay,  oyaji is an idiot but he would never hurt you. You know this." Hariel, being tiny in comparison to the tall young man was plucked up from the ground and gently wrapped in a hug as if she was still a little girl toddling after him.

He swayed from side to side, rocking her soothingly.  Hariel hiccupped, tears streaming down her too pale face.  Ryoma reached up to hold her hand, a grounding sensation for the teenager, who was thoroughly caught in a flashback. 

Nanjirou looked stricken. “I’m so sorry,  Hariel -chan..." He whispered remorsefully.  Hariel just kept crying, roughly trying to wipe the tears away with the back of her hand, even as more fell.  Ryoga pressed a kiss to her forehead. 

He felt cold inside, for her to react to an angry adult like this didn’t exactly paint a very pretty picture about her old homelife. They’d all known she hadn’t been treated very well but this indicated that it might have been far worse than they thought.

Hariel eventually calmed down, laying her tired aching head on  Ryoga’s strong shoulder. Feeling her calm down, her tears finally stopping, the older Echizen brother plopped down on the couch. Small teenager still ensconced in his lap as they waited calmly for her to come around.

Eventually she spoke up. “Sorry  Nanjirou -san." Was the first thing she said.  Nanjirou sighed, this was in no way her fault. “No bishoujo, I am sorry. I should have remembered that you have a hard time with angry adults. I’m supposed to look after you and I am not doing a good job right now."

As if she was still the  five-year-old girl she had been when he first met her, she held out her arms in the wordless plea mastered by children everywhere to be picked up.

He easily gathered her into his arms, mirroring what  Ryoga did shortly before.  Hariel , now perched on  Nanjirou’s hip buried her head into his neck. A big warm hand stroked down her spine and she relaxed into him. She knew he’d never hurt her like the Dursley’s did but seeing him angry had unearthed  many ugly memories.

After all the hullabaloo of  Ryoga’s return and  Hariel’s breakdown,  Nanjirou decided that they needed a family evening, time to rest and relax. He asked  Hariel to pick a movie and then made the two boys sit through her choice. They didn’t even protest that  much, Mulan was after all not really a girly movie. It could have been a romantic monstrosity for all they cared, cheering Hariel up was worth sitting through stupid movies.

When  Rinko came home hours later, it was to the interesting cuddle pile of  Nanjirou , who had  Ryoga and  Ryoma leaning into him, cuddled underneath his arms with  Hariel sprawled all over Ryoga. She had fallen asleep hours ago, exhausted by her crying jag.

“I’m home." She whispered, trying not to disturb the sleeping teens.  Nanjirou and  Ryoga nodded at her, smiling softly but keeping mum to avoid waking the teenagers.

She sat down in one of the chairs to wait until they came back.  Ryoga carrying  Hariel while  Nanjirou carried Ryoma off to bed.

“They’re sleeping soundly." Nanjirou said as they re-entered the living room. Rinko got up to gather Ryoga into a gentle hug. “You came back... you’re really here." She pressed a loving kiss to his forehead. “I missed you."

Ryoga’s eyes gained a suspiciously watery sheen. “I’m home..." He whispered.  Nanjirou sighed, pulling his son close on one side and his wife close on the other he spoke up. “ Ryoga’s dear aunt apparently told him I didn’t want him. The stupid cunt. I got angry and  Hariel had a panic attack because of me." 

“But she’s okay now?"  Rinko asked. The two Echizen males nodded. “She’s fine. His anger probably just sparked bad memories. She is not actually afraid of  oyaji at all. The first thing she wanted when she calmed down was to be picked up by him."

Rinko sighed. “I guess it was too much to hope that she could simply forget her deplorable relatives." She relaxed against her husband. “We’ll just have to help her."  Ryoga stated casually. “Oh, so you’re staying then?"  Nanjirou asked teasingly, a serious glint in his eyes. The young man nodded. “If that is okay? I am going to the nearby university after all."

Rinko grinned, delighted that he would be staying. “ Of course you can stay, we have plenty of room.  Hariel and  Ryoma will be pleased to have you around and I know  Nanjirou missed you a lot." The man in question nodded and hummed vaguely, looking somewhat reticent, yet completely unable to deny that he had in fact missed his oldest very much.

Ryoga grinned. “Alright then, I guess I really am staying here."

* * *

With a start  Hariel woke from a dead sleep, haunting acid green still flashing behind her eyelids. Combining in new horrible ways with the sight of broken white wings. Staring at the ceiling she already knew that she wouldn’t be getting anymore sleep tonight. Curling up on her side she stared at the red glowing numbers of her alarm clock, slowly ticking up until the day started. Mind unable to stop spinning in circles even though she felt so, incredibly, immensely tired.

At four o’clock she sighed and stood up on her bed, barely able to reach the ceiling. Slowly, meticulously, she started drawing the runic array she had first created in Hogwarts with a glowing fingertip. Softly glowing violet runes marched around the borders of the ceiling as she locked in the array, the runes sprawling over the ceiling like an oil stain in a clean pond.

Seeing that the clock had struck five by now, she decided to change so she could go for an early run. She crept down the stairs, opening the door and locking it shut behind her carefully. She stuck her keys and her cell phone into a pocket of her green shorts. Clad only in a long-sleeved black t-shirt and thin shorts she shivered mildly. It was still cold, the sun had yet to even peek over the horizon.

“It should be fine, running warms  you up right?" She muttered to herself. She started jogging. As she passed by houses and crossed streets she slowly started to relax. The physical exercise helping her sort through her demons, her nightmare finally releasing its stubborn grasp on her emotions. Sadness remained, steadily hanging in the background. She would always miss Hedwig, but the weight was becoming more bearable with each passing day. 

Running really was a lot like flying, she eventually decided. It made her feel free. A little while later she sat down besides the river. Sitting down on the still wet grass she drank big gulps of water. Leaning back to enjoy the early morning sun on her face, she poured clean water over her head. 

She blinked as the boy from the  Seigaku regulars came running by. She nodded politely almost in reflex. “Fssshhhhhh." He hissed, then nodded in return. Her magic brushing softly passed him, pleased and giddy with his presence.

Hariel thoughtfully looked at his back as he kept on running. He had dark eyes, his presence was intimidating, but his eyes seemed really kind. Maybe he was a big softy inside?

She made her way back home at a decent pace. Wondering if maybe she should talk to him, they had been exchanging friendly nods for weeks now...

* * *

A pale girl eventually entered the hospital room. Yukimura watched with worry as she collapsed against his bed, as if her strings had been cut. She had dropped her bag already, wordlessly setting a plant in a pretty violet pot which matched his eyes on the  windowsill . “This is for you." She stated softly, sadness hovering over her.

He tugged her against him, running a gentle hand through her hair. “Thank you, it’s a beautiful plant. But what happened, Hariel-chan?" He asked eventually, as the tension slowly melted away from her tiny frame.

“I had a panic attack." She admitted tonelessly. “I left my relatives far behind and they are still ruining my life and yesterday I had a nightmare." She curled her hands tightly, nails cutting into her palms. “I’m weak. What if they decide that I’m too much trouble? What if they don’t adopt me after all..."

Yukimura tilted her chin up so he could look her in the eye. “They won’t. Hariel-chan, from everything you’ve told me, the Echizen’s love you. Just because you had a panic attack doesn’t mean that they will stop loving you." He took her hands in his, uncurling her fingers from where her nails were cutting into her skin.

He frowned at her. “And you are not weak. Don’t say that..." She rested her too heavy tired head against his chest, starting to mumble into his soft t-shirt. “Seiichi-senpai... what if I’ll never get over them? And I still miss Hedwig, so much. What if I’ll keep having nightmares and panic attacks?"

He sighed. “You won’t, it will get better. You are very strong Hariel-chan. Maybe even the strongest person I know. I’ve watched you come her day after day. You’re always cheerful and you always try to help me out even though you’re exhausted from your nightmares. You have so much pain locked inside but you never gave up. It’s okay to miss her, just don’t give up now..."

“You think they really won’t mind?" She asked again, voice soft with the hope of a child. He nodded. “I really think they won’t mind. Just talk to them..."

Eventually she nodded. “Okay. I’ll talk to them." She sighed, a headache piercing through her skull. “Go to sleep Hariel-chan. You won’t learn anything like this anyway and you look sleep deprived." She yawned as she cuddled closer. Strong arms cradled her close as she drifted off. “Thank you... Seiichi-senpai..." 

* * *

“I’m going to England tomorrow, to try and get the Dursleys to sign over your custody." Rinko announced out of the blue. Nanako blinked, Ryoma Ryoga and Nanjirou nodded, while Hariel wrung her hands together nervously.

“Okay obaa-san. I’ll take over cooking dinner, when do you expect to be back?" Nanako asked softly. Rinko frowned. “I don’t know. It all depends on how fast the courts will sign off on the adoption." A vicious smile appeared on her pretty face. “If I have my way, I won’t be there long."

Ryoga reached out a hand to pat  Hariel gently on the head. “Don’t worry so much  chibi -chan.  Kaa-chan is much too vicious to let those pigs get away without signing those papers. She’ll be fine and you will be as well."

Hariel swallowed uneasily. “I hope so..." She mumbled almost too low to hear.

* * *

Hariel started with a perfect twist serve. Despite the fact that her right hand had been swaddled into another cast once the swelling had finally gone down, this time a green one, her tennis had steadily grown stronger.

Yuuta was already running as they started to rally. That was the nice thing about being fairly evenly matched,  Hariel mused as she finally managed to hit the ball somewhere the grey-eyed boy couldn’t return it. It meant a lot of growth on both sides, because a win was always tantalisingly within reach.

They weren’t keeping track at all since they were only trying to practice, to get stronger. Eventually she collapsed in the grass, pillowing her head on her jacket.

Yuuta stared curiously at her arm in the cast, angry red scars spiralling above it to halfway on her upper arm. “What happened?" He asked, poking her new cast casually.

Hariel stiffened. “My old school... I was attacked there. They broke my wrist and cut these scars into my arm." She eventually said haltingly.  Yuuta paled. “That’s awful..." She hummed, because yes, it really was.

“Say,  Hariel-chan ?" He had started addressing her more casually after a few weeks. “I took your advice and you were right.  Aniki really was trying to protect me." He scowled. “Why he always has to embarrass me I don’t get though. He told me he loved me, but he did it in such a way that everyone at school misunderstood it as a love confession." He groaned. “He always does that, wording things so that people misunderstand him. Then he stands there smiling angelically as he watches the fallout."

Hariel giggled. Somehow that sounded funny. “That’s nice..." She sighed. “Love of a family huh..."

Yuuta looked a little panicked at her sad face and blurted out the first thing that came to mind. “Do you want to have dinner at my house?" She blinked. “Huh?". “Aniki is curious, he has been asking after you." He answered the unspoken question, blushing as he looked away.

She hummed. “Okay." He immediately looked back. “Really?"  Hariel nodded. “Sure, you are my  friend right? I’d like to meet your family." 

And that was how  Hariel ended up having dinner with the Fuji family later that week.

* * *

Hariel had brought her sketchbook along to Seigaku. As she watched the regulars train, she opened the notebook and started sketching the boy with the gentle smile. Somehow her gaze kept being drawn to him.

While she could admit that he was really pretty, her fascination had more to do with the way he could project a soft gentle  demeanour without it feeling like a lie. Even though she was almost completely certain that there was far more to him.

She gasped quietly as she watched him open his eyes for the first time. He had cerulean blue eyes, lit with a sharp fire. His gaze was incredibly intense. Seeing him playing tennis serious for a few moments against the captain of the team was  mesmerizing . He was incredibly graceful.

Sakuno walked over to where  Hariel was sitting in the shade. Tomoka for once not with her, leaving her free to go to the green-eyed girl’s side. She knew that  Hariel probably didn’t dislike the loud girl, but she never the less avoided her.  Sakuno didn’t mind, she had seen  Hariel shy away from all loud people over the weeks they’d been  acquainted .

“Ah, hello  Hariel -chan. I didn’t know you could draw.”  Sakuno spoke up softly, watching in awe as  Hariel created a sketch of  Ryoma . His fierce eyes nearly glaring of the page, she had captured his intensity perfectly. “ Oh hi Sakuno-chan, uhm, it’s just a hobby. I’m not very good at it.”  Hariel shyly deflected.

“Eh, but these are really good.  Ryoma-kun looks so lifelike.” Twin-braids were dangling over her shoulders as she leaned closer to see the sketchpad better. “Thanks.” The raven-haired witch said softly. 

Tomoka called, and  Sakuno softly bid  Hariel goodbye to join her best friend in cheering for Ryoma.

By the time practice came to an end and  Ryoma wandered over to her she had pages full of his face, but most of her drawings were of the regular she was slowly becoming obsessed with, his eyes burning up at her. “Ah, were you drawing Fuji-senpai?" Ryoma asked bluntly.

Hariel flushed. “He... he looks amazing when he plays tennis." She mumbled. “ So his name is Fuji?"  Ryoma’s eyebrow rose.  Hariel had never been interested in anybody before so this was certainly new terrain...

“His name is Fuji  Syusuke ... a third year at  Seigaku . He’s known as a  tensai ."

* * *

Hariel ran as fast as she could, it was like she was still being chased by her nightmare. Tears tracking slowly down her pale cheeks as the sun started rising. The miles were quickly disappearing as she tore down the road as she desperately tried to outrun her memories.

Flashes of bloody feathers, haunting green light and a female voice pleading “Not  Hariel , not  Hariel ,  take me instead."

As her fear and frustration ever so slowly started dissolving, she gradually started enjoying the run. Eventually ending up by the river as she always did. She sat down in the grass, staring at the shimmering river in the early morning sunlight, her hands itching for her sketchbook.

She was just trying to braid her hair, scrunchy clenched between her teeth when she spotted the boy. “Ah..." She said, well aware that she looked a little silly with her arms contorted to braid her long hair. “Uhm, hi." She greeted, she had seen him enough times on her morning run that she felt she should introduce herself by now.

“ Fsssshhhh , hello." He muttered lowly, a threatening scowl on his face even as he glanced away shyly with a very soft nearly invisible pink blush. Her magic weaved over his skin, as if pulling her attention to him, again. The dense power had only ever reacted to  Ryoma and Sirius before, but since coming to Japan it had already found two new people it apparently liked. She wondered if that was normal.

Hariel almost wanted to coo at his apparent shyness. “Are you also running towards the temple?" She asked curiously, for their paths to always cross by the river, did that mean that he lived nearby?

He nodded, hissing softly. “I live two blocks east of the temple."  Hariel smiled gently. “Do you want to run back together? I live at the temple." He nodded immediately, then as if embarrassed by that he glanced away again. She got the feeling he was not a very socially skilled person.

Finally managing to wrangle her hair into a braid, she bounced up and down quickly. “Ready?" In answer he started jogging, she easily kept pace and together they ran down the dirt path towards the road. “What is your name?" She asked, several blocks into their run. “ Kaidoh Kaoru.... fssshhhhh ." She grinned. “I’m Potter  Hariel , it was nice to meet you... Maybe I’ll see you tomorrow?"

He nodded awkwardly, then as she ran left where he had to go right, he waved awkwardly as well in response to her enthusiastic wave. 

Grinning she made her way to the temple, hopefully she could make a new friend. He seemed really sweet.

* * *

As  Hariel felt her magic pull towards the sick boy she started wondering what was going on. Her magic had always been a mostly instinct driven force, far more active then was normal. She attributed that to the way the Dursley’s had forced her magic into healing her and preventing malnutrition.

She was fairly certain that without magic she wouldn’t have been merely  petite, she’d have been  underweight .  So while she was used to her magic independently reacting, she was not used to her magic reacting to a person.

The last time her magic had been this active she had just met Ryoma. Her magic had pulled her towards him for months, as if it was eagerly pointing out to her that this kid, this one was safe, was her friend, was loved... was her family.

Now her magic swirled around several new people as well.

Sighing she decided to shelve that issue for another time. Maybe she could research this if she asked the goblins to buy her reference books.

“Good morning, Seiichi-senpai." The boy merely nodded. He was pale with purple smudges under his eyes. Already realising that this was not a good day for him, she merely sat down beside him, laying a cool hand over his hot sweaty forehead. 

He sighed, pushing against her hand. They sat in silence for a while before Yukimura finally spoke up. “I hate this, I am so weak, I can’t walk anymore, I can’t even stay awake for a whole day. I Can’t DO, ANYTHING." She didn’t flinch even when he screamed. She had been expecting this for a while now. Nobody could be that calm in such a frustrating situation. He was tired and always in pain, he was allowed to break down every once in a while.

“You are not weak. In fact, I think you are very strong." She said softly, staring into anguished violet orbs. “Don’t be too hard on yourself, Seiichi-senpai. Your body is fighting itself and you are still keeping up with school and helping me and most of the time, you even smile and ask after others."

She sighed. “It’s hard... It must be so hard." She lifted her head, a very kind smile appearing on her face while glimmering eyes looked at him gently. “You are amazing."

He frowned guiltily. The last time his frustration at his situation had boiled over,  Sanada had gotten angry as well and they had fought. Hariel didn’t even flinch, not mad at him for losing his temper or even fazed. “I’m sorry, for losing my temper." He bowed his head. 

She pressed a kiss to his forehead. “You are allowed to." His eyes widened in surprise. “You don’t have to keep everything  inside, you are allowed to be angry and sad and frustrated." Emerald eyes which suddenly seemed so incredibly old stared out of the window. Avoiding his gaze for a moment.

“Nobody gets to tell you what to feel. If nothing else that is always yours, your feelings. People can tell you to shut up, but that won’t make the anger go away. Nothing does, some things you will just have to go through." 

She thought about hearing her mom, screaming as she died, seeing sickly green in her dreams for years without even being able to fully comprehend the horror. She thought of all the people telling her to cheer up. Of how the only thing which had really made her feel better was when Sirius sat with her in the sunlight and told her that he missed them too, allowing her the space to just mourn.

Kind old eyes looked at him. “Let’s go, sunshine and ice-cream always make things easier to bear." He looked at her, surprised. “What, now?" She nodded. “But I don’t know if I can manage to get myself into a wheelchair." It was said lowly, as if it pained him to admit.

Hariel pushed his wheelchair to the bed, clicked on the breaks, and then she leant over and simply lifted him up, gently setting his uncooperating legs on the plastic of the chair.

Without fanfare she pushed him out the door, silently taking him out of the hospital. She bought ice-cream at the nearest vendor and handed him his cone, then settled right beside him on a bench in the sun.

Silently Yukimura soaked in the sun, enjoying his ice-cream. The anger and frustration he felt slowly fading under the warm light. Now that he wasn’t trying to suppress it, it actually passed quite quickly. Watching the girl beside him hum, licking her ice-cream and smiling at the sun he wondered how he got so lucky. She was a sympathetic and sweet friend.

* * *

‘Luna-bell, what does it mean that my magic likes some people?’ The slanted narrow handwriting inked itself onto the page as if by an invisible hand.

Hermione’s amber eyes widened. “What does that mean? Magic doesn’t behave independently. Is something wrong with her?” The wavy-haired brunette fretted worriedly.

Meanwhile, Luna hummed a singsong tune. ‘It is magic’s gift to you. Trust in your power  Hariel .’ She paused for a moment, giggling to herself as the future once more took a turn onto a better path. A loving kiss, family friendship and bonds flashed through her mind. ‘Meditate more.’ She scrawled down idly.

Then the seer turned to her logical friend. “Your magic doesn’t.  Hariel and I are both far more connected to the roots of our power. Magic is an ancient guardian deity of earth. Of course, she is sentient. Hermione... magic only colours within the lines of reason if its wielders do.” 

Wide-eyed the Gryffindor  witch tried to come to terms with that. Luna never lied, even if she didn’t always follow the strange tangents her mind wondered off into.

* * *

“ Hariel -chan..."  Rinko said softly, waking the sleeping girl. “I’ve got the papers. You only need to sign this and then they can never take you back to England." Wide green eyes stared up at her, then she scrambled into an upright position. “Really? The Dursley’s signed over their custody of me?"

Rinko frowned. “They were eager to. Those people aren’t fit to raise a tadpole, never mind children."  Hariel grinned,  Rinko could be viciously funny when her ire was roused. Accepting the pen  Rinko handed her, she signed her name, then her new name on the required spots. “Echizen  Hariel ... welcome home."

Tears sliding down her cheeks as she grinned fiercely, the petite teenager was gathered in a tight hug. “Thank you, so much." She said, gratitude laced through the words.

“Nanako is already cooking up a feast. Let’s go wake your older brothers."  Rinko suggested mischievously.  Ryoma was notoriously bad with mornings, and Ryoga wasn’t much better.

She nodded happily. With  Rinko ever so softly opening  Ryoga’s door,  Hariel snuck through and then, when she was right beside his bed she shrieked.  “Good morning,  Ryoga-niisan !!!" He nearly jumped a foot in the air. “What the fuck is going ....on ...... Nii-san?" He pulled the girl into his arms, dragging her onto the bed.

Hoisting her into the air by her hips he held her up as if she weighed nothing. “Does that mean that you are as of right now officially Echizen  Hariel ,  chibi-chan ?" She nodded happily. He grinned. “That’s amazing." He easily held her up and she felt a little like she was flying.

She nodded. “Now let go,  niisan . I still have to wake up  Ryoma ."  Ryoga’s eyebrows rose. “This I have to see." 

He got up and wandered after his now officially claimed little sister. Watching  Rinko open the door he looked at the humorous sight of  Hariel tiptoeing into the room. She looked as if she was playing a role in a spy movie, a b-rated one.

“Good morning Ryoma-nii!!" She shouted into his ear. Golden eyes fluttered open as the owner groaned lowly. “Shut up Ri-chan. It’s too early." They all waited patiently as they watched the shout slowly sink into his brain. He was slowly waking up enough to actually hear what was said instead of loud noise.

When it finally sank in what she had called him, his eyes flew open. “Kaa-san did it? You are officially ours now?" He asked urgently. Hariel nodded happily. “Yes. I signed literally minutes ago, but it’s done."  Ryoma smiled, a soft beautiful expression rarely seen and all the more precious for it.

Ryoga wandered into the room, plucking up his kid sister easily, he set her on his hip and then grinned down at his baby brother. “Get up chibisuke. Nanako-chan is already cooking, and I might just eat your share if you continue to laze in bed." He flounced out of the room. “Let’s go, chibi-chan." 

Rinko watched her three kids (three, she could barely believe it) interact, happiness burning brightly inside her heart. Nanjirou, who had been woken up by the shouting came up behind her, winding a tanned arm around her waist. “So did I hear it right that the  bishoujo is now officially an Echizen?"  Rinko smiled, nodding her head. “I’m so glad." She leaned back against him. “Yeah, me too."

* * *

Hariel showed up at the hospital radiating happiness. Yukimura watched with a small smile as she eagerly explained how she had woken her brothers up with the news of her adoption. “It sounds like you had a great morning, Hariel-chan." The raven-haired girl nodded enthusiastically. “It was really funny, Ryoma is always a zombie in the mornings."

The navy-haired boy listened with interest as the young teenager told him about her morning. It was rare to see her so uncomplicatedly happy. She was a fairly upbeat person, but sadness tended to linger around the edges of her expressions. Her icy demeanour had melted over the months, as she slowly started healing from the trauma she had endured, but she was still generally quiet and introverted. The reserved quality to her personality likely permanent.

“Will you take me outside?" Yukimura asked gently, only a little apprehensive. It was hard for him to rely on others, but it seemed like Hariel was becoming the exception to a lot of things. The emerald-eyed girl nodded. She easily lifted his slack body when it became clear that muscle weakness was one of the things plaguing him today. 

She wheeled him through the corridors, pushing his wheelchair and stepping on the iron bars stretching along the back to coast along long stretches of the empty hallways. Yukimura smiled as he heard her giggling softly. “You are almost caught up to where a freshman should be science, but I think Japanese Literature will take some more work." The tennis captain told her calmly.

Hariel groaned softly. “I just didn’t read anything discussed in that class, and I still have minor issues with kanji. English is so much easier to read." Yukimura hummed. “Don’t worry about it, you are progressing really fast for someone who hasn’t lived in Japan before."

Yukimura blinked up at the sun, enjoying the gentle heat and the sight of sun-dappled leaves. “Thank you." He said sincerely.  Hariel looked at him, a little sad. She was very independent and she couldn’t even imagine being so restricted and helpless. “I’ll take you outside whenever you want. It is no problem at all. I like spending time with you." 

Seeing all of the benches were full and both of them not in the mood to listen to small talk with strangers, they ended up beneath one of the ancient trees, a  little way of the path . Realizing that this time there was no convenient bench for  Hariel to sit on, the violet-eyed boy merely pulled her into his lap. 

She wasn’t heavy at all after all and this way they could both be comfortable. Weeks spend napping together meant that they were comfortable with sharing their personal space,  Hariel’s usual trust issues kept at bay by her magic singing of trust, humming soothingly in the back of her mind whenever she was close to him.  Hariel leaned back against him, closing her eyes and feeling the warm sunlight filter through the leaves to touch her face. Yukimura wrapped his arms around her waist, resting his chin on her shoulder.

He was people watching when one of the other visitors of the park spotted them and started walking towards them. He wondered what the young man wanted with them, since he was unfamiliar to him.

Hariel blinked, a little surprised as she spotted  Ryoga walking towards them. “Chibi-chan. Who’s this?" The tall young man asked curiously, seeing his sister seated on the lap of the pretty boy in the wheelchair.

“Ah, Seiichi-senpai, this is my older brother, Echizen  Ryoga ." Yukimura politely bowed his head. “ Niisan this is Yukimura Seiichi, my tutor."  Ryoga blinked. “Nice to meet you, Yukimura." Then one of his eyebrows rose. “So, why are you in a wheelchair?" The  Rikkaidai senior smiled, just like his sister the young man was refreshingly straight forward. “I have a neurological disease which has paralysed my legs. I’m being treated for it in the hospital." The raven nodded. 

“Are you dating my baby sister?"  Ryoga demanded seriously. The younger male smiled very softly, tucking a stray lock of hair gently behind her ear. He leaned against  Hariel’s back, intentionally closing the gap between their bodies to curl himself around the petite teenager.

“No, we’re not dating." He stated gently. Ryoga’s eyebrow twitched with irritation. “From where I’m standing it looks like you are being way to casual and close with her, back off."  Hariel who had merely watched them interact curiously giggles. “Stop teasing  niisan , Seiichi-senpai." She mentioned casually. “Ne,  Ryoga-niisan , what are you doing here anyway?"

The young man frowned. “Are you sure he isn’t being too casual,  chibi-chan ?"  Hariel nodded. “Mhm, yes, he is more like my best friend, like Ryoma or Hermione, we usually nap together so we’re used to being close but it is completely platonic." She shrugged, a loose liquid movement. “He makes me feel safe."

Yukimura smiled at her admittance. “ Hariel-chan is indeed very beautiful and very kind, but we are not dating, Echizen-san. I consider her to be one of my closest friends but I am not attracted to her like that and I don’t believe she is attracted to me either."

Hariel nodded seriously. “While senpai is a very pretty girl for a boy and undoubtedly will make someone very happy one day I don’t feel that way about him at all." Ryoga nearly giggled, Hariel’s blunt way of describing people could on occasion be hilarious.

“Just call me  Ryoga , Yukimura. As one of  chibi-chan's friends you will undoubtably end up acquainted with more Echizen’s eventually so to prevent any confusion you should get in the habit of calling me by my first name." 

Yukimura blinked at  Hariel’s description of him. Then he decided to let it go because she didn’t mean it offensively at all and he himself was well aware that he looked feminine. 

“So, what are you doing here?"  Hariel repeated her earlier question, still curious. “My university is close  by, I had a break in my schedule and decided to eat lunch here."  Hariel hummed, that made sense. “Seiichi-senpai, can we have lunch with  niisan ?" Yukimura nodded. “Of course Hariel-chan, I’d like to get to know your older brother."

Lunch ended up being an interesting collision of characters.  Hariel hadn’t really realised it, since she could be dense on occasion, but Yukimura liked to tease people and Ryoga made an excellent target.

With his angelic face most people never caught on, but  Hariel , when it didn’t involve herself, was fairly adept at reading people and realised that he was doing it on purpose. She grinned as she watched  Ryoga twitch, trying to figure out when he would realise that Yukimura was teasing him.

* * *

Hariel made her way towards the river banks, where she saw  Kaidoh going through a set of exercises. “Good morning,  Kaidoh -san." She greeted softly. “Good morning, Potter-san."  Hariel blinked, realising that she would have to explain her name change. 

“Ah, it’s Echizen now, I was adopted." She explained brightly.  Kaidoh looked at her curiously. “ Fssshhhh , Echizen is your brother?" She nodded. “ Ryoma-nii is a little older than I am, and he delights in lording that over my head." She mentioned, a bright flutter of happiness squirming in her stomach at the realisation that she had a family now, that she could tell someone about her very own brother.

“ Fssshhhh , he’s a brat."  Kaidoh stated, fondness for the team’s baby colouring his harsh comment.  Hariel merely smiled. “He is, but we love him anyway."  Kaidoh nodded, motioning for her to go first to continue their run. 

They ran in companionable silence for a while. “ Kaidoh -san, do you like  Seigaku ?" The dark-haired boy was silent for a while. “There is a good tennis team." He ended up stating.  Hariel grinned, trust a regular to be tennis obsessed. 

“What are the lessons like?" She asked, she was considering going to  Seigaku now that she was mostly caught up with the curriculum, but she was scared of being bullied again, of people talking behind her back, of being on the outside forever staring in. “What do you want to know?" Kaidoh asked tersely, aware that she wasn’t just making small talk.

Hariel sighed, trying to gather her thoughts. “I was assaulted at my old school." She raised her arm, shoving the sleeve up high enough to show the still blood flaked lines on her arm. “This happened to me because of rumours and bullying. I guess what I really want to know is if  Seigaku is safe from bullies."

Kaidoh frowned at the sight. “Seigaku... is not perfect." He eventually said. “Bullying does happen sometimes, but I don’t think it would ever go that far, the faculty does punish bullies if they are reported."

Hariel pulled her sleeve over the cast again. “Thank you." The dark-eyed boy nodded seriously. “Echizen would never allow people to bully you." He looked away shyly while finishing his sentence. “And neither would I."

Hariel flushed, grateful for his awkward kindness. “Thank you." She murmured thickly. 


	5. Blue-Eyed Tensai

“My sister is probably home,  aniki will definitely be there.”  Yuuta said mildly agitated.  Hariel only smiled. “I’m sure it will be fine, Yuuta-kun. You are on good terms with your brother now, right?" The grey-eyed boy sighed as he unlocked the front door. “That’s really the problem here.” He muttered under his breath.

“Ah,  Yuuta-chan , it is so good to see you at home.” A familiar honey-haired  tensai was coming down the stairs. “ Aniki ... don’t call me that.”  Hariel flushed, she had been watching him practice the last couple of weeks, somehow her attention was pulled towards him even if she came to watch Ryoma... he was also really pretty... 

“But how else am I supposed to show you that I love you... Yuuta-chan.” Fuji was intrigued to see that the current object of his attention, was also the girl who had helped heal the rift between him and his brother. This girl... was becoming more and more interesting.

Hariel giggled, drawing the attention of the  tensai to her. “Saa, hello mystery girl. Is she your friend,  Yuuta-chan ?” “This is  Hariel-chan , I told you about her... and don’t call me that.” Sharp cerulean eyes were opened fully, completely focused on an emerald gaze.  Hariel inhaled sharply, being at the end of undivided focus like that was... exhilarating. For a second, it was as if they were the only people in the world and he saw her for who she was...

The older brother bowed deeply. “Thank you, so much.”  Hariel frantically shook her head. “I didn’t do anything, why are you thanking me?” “ Yuuta talked to me for the first time in months, of his own volition, he told me I have you to thank for that.” The sadistic genius smiled genuinely, an incredible sight with his clear blue gaze still bared to the world and boring into her own acid green orbs.

Blushing a soft pink  Hariel shook her head again. “He did that all by himself,  Yuuta-kun is very kind, that had nothing to do with me.” She stated demurely, not feeling herself worthy of that praise. The honey-haired senior hummed. Not agreeing or disagreeing with her. Seeing that she was uncomfortable with his gratitude, he elected to let it go for now. He didn’t want to make her uncomfortable.

“I’ve seen you looking at our practice at  Seigaku , right?”  Hariel bit her lip, not having known that he had noticed her. “You go to  Seigaku ?”  Yuuta questioned, then he frowned at the way her face had lit up bright red. “N-No... I just came to watch niichan... and to draw.” Why did I say  that... I should not have said that. Sharp blue eyes twinkled. “Did you sketch any of the regulars perhaps?” He asked softly.

Now nearly tomato red,  Hariel merely nodded shyly. “If you need reference material, I have photographs. I enjoy photography and I have a lot of pictures of the regulars.” Fuji smiled gently.  Hariel nodded. “T-Thank you.” She stuttered. Being close to this particular boy flustered her.

“You are very welcome.” Fuji smiled, eyes curving into gentle half-moons. “Yuuta, who is this pretty girl? Is she your girlfriend?” A soft melodious voice called, a young woman coming down the stairs to stand behind the tensai. Now it was Yuuta’s turn to flush a bright red. “No, we are just friends, I asked mom if she could have dinner with us, she said yes.” 

“Hello, I am Fuji Yumiko,  Yuuta’s older sister.” The female who seemed to be about  Ryoga’s age bowed her head politely.  Hariel nodded her head as well. “Nice to meet you, Fuji-san. I am Echizen  Hariel .”

“Saa, I didn’t introduce myself yet did I, I’m Fuji Syusuke. You can call me Syusuke Hariel-chan. There are many Fuji’s here after all.” Hariel nodded shyly. “Yumiko is fine, Hariel-chan. So, how did you meet my grumpy otouto?”

“On a street court. He’s good at tennis. We practice together.” Cerulean sharpened in interest. Here was the mystery girl he had been observing for weeks, and she played tennis as well? Yumiko hummed. “ So you play tennis  Hariel-chan ?”

“Saa,  neesan why don’t we all go to the living room before we ask  Hariel-chan anymore questions.” Fuji gently guided the raven-haired girl towards their living room. “Would you like anything to drink?” He asked politely, smiling down at her softly. She shook her head nervously, for some reason just being near the older boy was making her nervous.

“ Yuuta , can you help me out for a moment, I’m sure  Syusuke can entertain your friend for a moment.” Yumiko mentioned calmly from the hallway.  Yuuta sighed, not sure it was a good idea to leave his friend alone with a strangely curious version of his older brother. “ Hariel-chan , I’ll be right back. I have to help  neesan with something.” He paused, sticking his head around the corner of the living room.

“If  aniki does anything strange, just yell, okay?”  Hariel’s eyes widened. “ Yuuta-chan , you wound me, of course I’ll take good care of your beloved friend.” The youngest sibling scowled. “Don’t call me that.”  Hariel , watching the brothers interact, was reminded of her own older brothers. It was soothing, unconsciously she smiled gently. 

Curiously she looked around the living room, it looked a lot like the Echizen’s living room, with the exception of the many photographs that were displayed on the walls. Black and white and several coloured ones. Drawn towards them for reasons she couldn’t even really explain herself she wandered over to take a closer look.

Her absolute favourite photograph was a black and white picture of a river, her river actually. Presumably taken by Fuji, he had captured the shimmering light and the dichotomy of utter desolation and peace of the early morning perfectly. It was like he took a picture of the feeling she chased every morning.

“It’s beautiful...” She whispered, tracing a gentle finger over the glass, following the path of the river. A soft voice spoke up behind her, her eyes widening as she realised how close the senior was. “Most people don’t like that photo. They say it makes them feel... alone and uncomfortable.”

Hariel spun around, looking up into the wide-open blue eyes which pinned her in place. “It feels like that feeling you get when you wake up before the sunrise, with the first light only just peeking over the horizon it feels like there is absolutely nobody in the world. Desolate... but peaceful.”

His eyes widened slightly in surprise. She had explained perfectly what he had wanted to capture. “You are a very interesting girl, aren’t you... Hariel-chan.” He stated softly, almost intimately as he very gently brushed a finger over her cheek. “You don’t see the world the same way as most people do.”

“Ah... Fuji-san, you made that photograph didn’t you?” He nodded. “It doesn’t make you feel depressed at all.” She stated, with certainty. He smiled, because she was right. 

“You don’t need to call me by my last name, I’d like to get to know you much better... so call me by my name.” She flushed, it felt strangely intimidate to call him by his first name. “S-Syusuke-san...” She whispered, trying it out. 

“Will you model for me sometime,  Hariel-chan ?” “M-Me?” She squeaked shyly, unsure why he would even want to immortalize her at all. “You are beautiful and I want to capture that.”  Hariel turned bright red, nobody ever called her beautiful so sincerely before.

“ Aniki ... what are you doing?” A grumbling voice came from the door,  Yuuta was a little worried at the sight which greeted him in the living room.  Hariel was backed up against the wall with her face bright red, with his brother leaning closer to her, looking at her with an intense gaze.

“Saa,  Yuuta -chan. I was asking  Hariel-chan to model for me.”  Yuuta’s eyebrow rose. “Why is she blushing?” “I suppose not nearly enough people have told her that she’s very beautiful before.” Fuji answered charmingly.

Feeling like she was fire-engine red and quite unable to stop that, she shyly looked away from the intense blue eyes which had never left her face.

“ Aniki ... don’t tease my friend.”  Yuuta sighed, it was one thing for his brother to tease him but he wasn’t sure  Hariel would be okay. She had been bullied horrifically and even if the older Fuji wasn’t malicious at all it might still hurt her feelings.

The  tensai shook his head, backing up slightly to let the still mute girl gather herself. “I’m not,  Yuuta -chan. I was being completely sincere.”  Yuuta looked surprised, it was unlike him to admit something so candidly.

Fuji was still a genius though and no matter how much he liked to tease people he usually knew where the line was down to the millimetre. He had noticed she was shy and probably insecure in her looks. He thought she really was beautiful with long raven hair shining blue in the sun and big emerald eyes with a sort of lingering sadness. He had no problem admitting that, since the last thing he wanted was to destroy the confidence of the girl who had helped mend the rift between him and his otouto.

If anything, he wanted to tease her to help her gain confidence. Her flustered reactions were really cute.

Yumiko entered the living room as well, speaking up kindly. “ Okaa -san is running late, so we are going to have dinner by ourselves. She apologizes for being unable to receive you,  Hariel -chan.” The still slightly flushed girl shook her head. “I-It’s no problem at all, it was my fault for coming over spontaneously.”

Yuuta frowned, on the courts she was confident and cool. Not even his  aniki should have been able to fluster her this much. Why did she have such a hard time with this setting? She seemed a lot less sure of herself and she was quick to apologize even when this situation had not been her fault at all.

“If anything, that’s on me.” He grumbled. “Relax,  Hariel -chan. No matter how much they both  tease , and don’t let her sweet look fool you,  neesan is just as bad as  aniki , they won’t bite or anything.”  Yuuta said, trying to calm down his strangely anxious friend.

“S-Sorry, I’ve just never really been over at a friend’s house before.” The raven mumbled at her sock clad feet. “Niichan was the only friend I ever saw outside of school and I basically lived with them already even before they adopted me. I’m just nervous I guess.” She admitted softly, ashamed.

The oldest Fuji sibling  frowned, it was no fun to tease somebody who was genuinely afraid. “It is not so terribly different from being anywhere else with friends." Yumiko said softly. “As long as you are polite, you can’t really do  anything wrong and you’ve been a perfect house guest so far."

Hariel hummed awkwardly, not sure what to say yet thankful for the kind words. Yumiko, thinking back on her psychology classes and the anxious reactions of their guest started outlining the evening. “I am going to cook dinner now,  Yuuta and  Syusuke will stay here with you. One of them will set the table and then we will all have dinner. The dishes will be done by whomever didn’t help out yet. You can help if you want to, but as a guest you aren’t really expected to help." 

Hariel looked up at her with relieved green eyes. “So now you know what is going to happen, you don’t have to worry about it anymore, okay?" Yumiko asked, setting a gentle hand on the girl’s slender shoulder.  Hariel smiled at her brightly. “O-Okay, Yumiko-san. Thank you for explaining." The older female’s face softened. “No problem Hariel-chan, teasing people is fun, but not if you are scared. So just ask one of us if you don’t know what to do."

Hariel nodded, thankful. Fuji had wandered over to the couch, sitting down close to where the small girl was standing. “Come sit,  Hariel -chan. I want to know more about how you met  Yuuta-chan , please?" Yumiko smiled as she went to make dinner. It was unlike her brothers to genuinely take to someone, especially  Syusuke .

At first and even a second or third glance it was generally expected that the  tensai had a lot of friends, while his grumpy  otouto was seemingly a loner. In reality though, it was much the opposite.  Syusuke had only a few friends, while  Yuuta had many and made friends easily.

Hariel delicately settled on the couch besides the honey-haired teen.  Yuuta sighed, he wasn’t especially ashamed of losing to her, since she was a strong tennis player, but this story would no doubt entertain his  aniki . Who would then tease him... again.

The grey-eyed Fuji sat down in the armchair opposite the two teens. “ Aniki , there is really no need to ask. We just played tennis, that’s all."  Hariel hid a soft grin, apparently he didn’t want his brother to know about his bratty behaviour. She had long since forgiven him, but kicking his ass against all his preconceptions had been fairly satisfying.

Yuuta nearly groaned when he saw Fuji zero in on  Hariel’s smile. The older teen turned towards her, knee subtly resting against her own leg because of the way he faced towards her now.

Hariel tried to ignore the heat seeping into her through the single point of contact between them. Her magic was swirling around him curiously. It felt warm, as if something about the boy made her magic... happy? Her magic had never heated up before for another person... 

“If  Yuuta-chan doesn’t want you to tell me, that just makes me more curious." The blue-eyed menace pointed out... ‘innocently'.  Hariel almost smirked at that, she could see why  Yuuta had complained about his brother now. With his innocent face he could get away with a lot, and he obviously used that ruthlessly to tease people. Come to think of it, he was a lot like Seiichi-senpai.

“He actually challenged me to a tennis match to get me to leave the court."  Hariel spoke up, watching in delight as  Yuuta flushed red. “She  won, in case you were wondering. This tiny girl with her hand in a cast looking like the wind could blow her away and she kicks my ass 6 games to 3." He grumbled, he still thought that his estimation of her hadn’t been that strange. In  general, tiny girls did not kick ass on tennis courts.

“Saa, and that without even using your dominant hand,  Hariel -chan.  Interesting ..." The green-eyed girl blushed. “I am mostly ambidextrous though." She objected, not wanting to make it look like she hadn’t been using her full strength to beat the youngest Fuji.

“We had a bet, I would leave the court if he won, but if I  won he had to tell me why he was so angry." She shrugged, immersed in her memories. “I could tell that he was good at tennis." She nodded at Yuuta. “You really love tennis, so I wondered why you had anger tainting that on the court."

Yuuta sighed, turning serious for a moment. “I’ll never forget what you said, because it is true." He said softly, smiling at the tiny girl. Then he looked at his  aniki . “You are your own person and that should be enough. If people don’t already acknowledge that from the start, isn’t it them who aren’t good enough?"

The grey-eyed boy shrugged. “She’s right, I let their opinions get to me, but they don’t matter. You do." He nodded towards the two teens across from him.

“How would they even overlook you for your aniki anyway?"  Hariel asked. “You are taller, aren’t you..."  Yuuta just stared at her for a full minute, and then he burst out laughing. “T-That’s way too literal,  Hariel -chan." Fuji smiled, happy to see his brother laughing about a time in his life which had hurt him so much.

“ Yuuta , come help me set the table." Yumiko’s gentle voice called from the kitchen. Wondering absently why his sister seemed determined to leave  Hariel with his  aniki , he got up to go to the kitchen.

Fuji opened his eyes completely. Laser-focussed blue orbs roaming her face. “Do you have any other hobbies,  Hariel-chan ? Besides tennis and drawing?" He wanted to know more about her, to... satisfy his curiosity. Hariel glanced away shyly. “I like to garden, and I run a lot. The river in your photograph, I always run along that river in the mornings." Fuji hummed, pleased that she seemed to be relaxing a little bit.

“I collect cacti. If you want, I can show them to you sometime. Do you take care of the garden at home?" She nodded. “I have flowers and plants in my room, but I also take care of the garden, yes. I don’t think anybody else has a green thumb in the family." She looked at him curiously. “Are cacti hard to take care of?"

He shook his head, eyes closing and mouth curving up in a gentle smile. “Not particularly, some of the plants I own can be finicky, but I don’t mind."

“Syusuke-san... do you like going to  Seigaku ?" She asked timidly. She had been thinking about going to school lately. She liked being tutored by Yukimura, but she missed  Ryoma and she felt like maybe she was ready now in a way she hadn’t been months ago. Her nightmares had diminished and her adoption had soothed a lot of her fears.

“Saa... it is a good school. The educational level is high." He answered generally. “Are you considering going to Seigaku?" He asked curiously, radiating a soothing calmness.

Hariel , her magic singing to her of safety and calm and good, nodded. She leaned back against the couch, tension finally leaving her frame. “I am." She sighed, subconsciously tracing her scars through the fabric of her shirt and her cast. “I just... didn’t have a good experience the last time I went to school." She admitted softly.

Blue eyes sharpened angrily. A very gentle hand winding around the cast on her arm. “This was done to you at your old school?" She smiled wanly, not minding his gentle grip on her still weakened limb though she normally had difficulty with touch. 

She was probably suffering from skin hunger because of her cold upbringing yet she was also withdrawn and cagy. She clung to the people she liked and trusted but shied away fiercely from anyone else. Her magic sang though and so she didn’t feel the usual alarm at having a mostly unknown person so close.

It felt like she knew him, and he was safe...

“They broke more than just my wrist..." She confessed lowly, reassured by her magic, as if it was showing her that she could trust him completely. A very gentle hand brushed away the stray tear she hadn’t even noticed. Fuji, who had been fascinated by the mystery she represented and who had quickly started becoming attached and enthralled in equal measures, when he did finally meet her, was angry, furious even that anybody would do this. 

She shoved her sleeve up, showing him the bloody red spirals rising above her cast. “So that, that’s why I’m afraid of going back to school." She bit her lip harshly. “I know I’m being a coward. I just can’t help it."

A tender hand traced the lines softly, while Fuji frowned gently. “You are not a coward. You’re thinking about going to school again, if anything you are brave." He sighed softly. “ Seigaku , it has a fairly stringent anti-bullying policy but no school is perfect. Bullies exist everywhere." 

His eyes opened, and she didn’t feel threatened, even though his gaze was sharp enough to cut and vaguely sadistic. “If you do end up going, I will..." He should be frightening, but all she really felt seeing his expression was safe. “Ensure that you are treated well."

“ Syusuke ,  Hariel-chan , dinner is ready." A female voice drifted over to the two teens who were locked in an intense stare.  Hariel flushed, suddenly aware of how close they were, his hand still lingering on her scars and their knees touching. 

Shoving her sleeve down, she nearly fled from the room, blushing bright red. Fuji chuckled softly, she really was too cute. Then his smile widened when she turned around again. “S-Syusuke-san... where is the dinner table?"

Smiling down at her flushed face, he gently stirred her towards the correct door.

* * *

Yuuta awkwardly scratched the back of his head. “Uhm, do you want to watch a movie?" He asked Hariel, who was also not quite sure what to do now.

When he had friends over, it was usually at the St. Rudolph dormitory and they were always guys. Somehow it felt too awkward to invite her up to his room. Even if he didn’t like her like that. He was suddenly very much aware that  Hariel was still a girl. A tomboy obsessed with tennis, who never dressed like a girl... but female still.

They usually just played tennis together, or got ice-cream. Or they went for a snack, but this was new terrain.

“Can I join you two?" Fuji’s soft voice broke the tension.  Hariel and Yuuta, who had been standing awkwardly in the living room, were grateful. They got along well, but this new setting was making it hard to find their usual easy flow.

Yuuta looked at  Hariel to make sure she was alright with that. Spotting his questioning gaze, she nodded. “Sure,  aniki ." 

They watched the movie in silence,  Yuuta once more on one of the chairs and Fuji and  Hariel once again sharing the couch. How she had ended up sitting next to the tensai again, she didn’t quite know.

She flushed in the dark, looking at his profile. He seemed focussed on the movie. He turned slightly, seeing her looking at him. He smiled gently, causing her to look away quickly, cheeks coloured red. 

Almost two hours later,  Yuuta had fallen asleep.  Hariel didn’t quite know what to do. She didn’t want to wake him, because he seemed to be peacefully sleeping, but she also didn’t know if she could just go home now. That would be rude, wouldn’t it?

Fuji stood up silently, wide open cerulean eyes were looking at her calmly as he held out his hand. She set her smaller hand in his, his warm fingers curling around her palm as he pulled her up easily. Still holding on to her hand, he pulled her away from the living room.

Fuji smiled down at the petite girl, still holding on to her hand. Despite her red cheeks she’d made no move to make him let go. “ Hariel -chan... I have something I want to give to you. I need to print it though, come up to my room for a bit?" She nodded, confused,  curiosity swimming in deep green depths.

Opening the door to his room, he started up his computer. “Come on in, you can sit down if you’d like. This won’t take very long."  Hariel stepped further into his room calmly, utterly unaware of the social connotations. Cacti were planted in tiny pots, covering his window sill and part of his desk. 

There was a bed, a wardrobe and a desk. All in fairly light wood. His room was done in soft pastel tones. Blues and greens and greys. His wall was covered in more photographs. 

“You are a very good at capturing the essence of moments." She eventually said quietly. “These are beautiful."

Fuji smiled at her, watching her take in his room curiously. “Thank you." It was strange how quickly he had taken to her, but she was so fascinatingly different.

He quickly printed out another copy of the photograph which had fascinated her downstairs. Scribbling a few words on the back, he put it into an envelope. “Saa, it’s a copy of the river photograph. If you’d like, you can keep that." He stated softly as he held out the envelope.

Hariel smiled, taking the white paper package. “Thank you." His eyes softened. “No problem."

A soft ping echoed through the room.  Hariel hummed, pulling out her phone. She read the text message quickly. “Ah,  niisan is asking when I’m coming home." “I can take you home now." She hummed. “Are you sure? I don’t want to trouble you." He nodded. “It is no problem at all  Hariel -chan." She frowned. “I can go by  myself, I know the way, I really don’t want to take up anymore of your time."

He stepped closer, softly tilting her chin up. “You are not taking my time, I am choosing to spend it with you, if you’d like." Green eyes widened as a flush crawled up her cheeks again. “O-Okay." She stuttered.

She texted back that she was going home right now, followed the boy down the stairs and then put her new gift into her bag for safekeeping.

She smiled as she watched  Yuuta sleeping peacefully. Yumiko tucked a blanket around the sleeping teenager, before following Hariel and Fuji out of the house. “It was nice to meet you, Hariel-chan." Yumiko said kindly.  Hariel smiled up at the oldest Fuji sibling. “It was nice to meet you too."

Fuji motioned for  Hariel to hop on the back of his bike. She waved at Yumiko’s shrinking silhouette, one hand clenched in the back of his jacket. Seeing the stars twinkling down at her she sighed. Today had been somewhat stressful, but also interesting. The tensai had seemed so unapproachable at school, but now she was getting to know him. She’d been shocked to see him coming down the stairs, clad in casual clothing.

He wasn’t as nice as he seemed, appearing so gentle and soft, and instead teasing people ruthlessly. But he never crossed the line, always taking care that it remained teasing, embarrassing at most but never genuinely hurtful. She had seen how he had watched  Yuuta , embarrassing him mercilessly but never hurting him. 

She leaned her forehead against his back, soaking in the heat and enjoying the way her magic so clearly liked him.

All too soon he was dropping her off at home. “It was lovely to officially meet you,  Hariel -chan. Say hello to Echizen for me, won’t you?" He asked, well aware that  Ryoma would be baffled. She nodded in mild confusion.

“It was nice to meet you too, Syusuke-san." She managed to address him without stuttering this time, though her cheeks still pinked a tiny bit. “Goodnight." He stated softly, tenderly swiping her hair away from her face, delicate fingers stroking the shell of her ear as he made sure that her hair would temporarily behave.

She swallowed somewhat nervously. Wanting to spend more time with him, her green eyes drawn towards him consistently. She didn’t know why... she just, really  really liked his attention. It made something in her stomach squirm happily. “G-Goodnight..." She whispered. 

* * *

Hariel opened the door, blinking confused as she was confronted with her whole family sitting in the living room.  Ryoma and  Ryoga were playing a video game against each other, while  Najirou and  Rinko were curled up together,  Rinko reading and  Nanjirou contently dozing cuddled together with his wife.

“I’m home." She said softly, happy to be able to say the words. A joy she would never get tired off. “ Ryoma-nii , Syusuke-san said hello." She frowned minutely. “Though I don’t know why, he’ll see you tomorrow at tennis practice."

“... you were with Fuji-senpai?"  Ryoma asked.  Hariel nodded. “He brought me home. I was visiting  Yuuta-kun's family. Apparently, his full name is Fuji  Yuuta . Syusuke-san is his  aniki ." 

“If you were visiting  Yuuta , how come that sadistic  tensai was the one who brought you home? And why do you call him by his first name?"  Ryoma asked, twitching a little at the thought of that honey-haired devil with his baby sister. Despite being only a few months older, he had taken to the role of older brother enthusiastically.

“ Yuuta-kun fell asleep during the movie." She said brightly. Then she flushed, shyly looking away. “He... told me that I could call him by his first name."

Then she turned towards  Rinko . Leaving the males spluttering. “ Rinko -san, c-can I have a picture frame? On my wall?" She asked softly. She still had a hard time showing her desires and asking for things so  Rinko nodded immediately. “ Of course sweetheart. I think there might be a few old frames in the attic. We can look them up tomorrow." 

Then she blinked. “Why do you want a frame?" She asked curiously.  Hariel had so far not wanted anything on her walls, or at least hadn’t admitted to wanting anything. She smiled softly. “I’ve been  given a gift. It’s a photograph." She said softly.

“Who is this Fuji person, the older one who dropped you off, and for that matter the younger one who invited you home as well? Are they treating you alright, they’re not flirting with you, right?"  Ryoga asked suspiciously. He bemoaned his fate silently, that navy-haired devil in the hospital was bad enough, being so close with his baby sister.

“I don’t know  Yuuta . Fuji-senpai is a smiling menace."  Ryoma stated shortly, grumpily. He had missed  Hariel this evening and lately in general.

“Ah, the Fuji family is really kind. Yumiko-san cooked a really nice dinner and  Yuuta-kun was being really nice to invite me." She bit her lip softly. “I’ve never really been invited anywhere but here..."

Ryoma sighed, he knew how she’d been treated in England, an outcast from the start at school and in the neighbourhood thanks to the Dursley’s lies. He couldn’t  begrudge her other friends, even if he did miss being her sole companion.

“I’m glad you had a good time today."  Rinko said, pressing a loving kiss to her forehead. “It’s good that you’re making friends."

She nodded happily.  Yuuta didn’t have any connection to the Wizarding World and had become her friend solely because he seemed to like spending time with her. For a girl who had only been half a person and more of an ideal to most people in the Wizarding World that was worth so much... With Ron especially there had always been that niggling doubt. Did he see Hariel, or  Hariel Potter, Girl-Who-Lived?

“That’s right,  bishoujo , I almost forgot. Some magic person showed up. Since you are a magical citizen of Japan  now they want to ensure your education continues."  Hariel paled, swallowing against the fear crawling up her spine. Magic was amazing, a calming heat spooling in her core, something which granted her a sense of safety enabling her to continue her life despite the trauma.

But the wizarding world felt like a threat. A world in which she had almost died so many times already. A place where she wasn’t even a person, but an idea. 

Nanjirou stood up, plucking her up to cuddle her petite frame closer. “Shh  Hariel . You’ll be okay, they even told us that home schooling on the side was an option if you want to go to a normal school."

She sighed, burying her head into his warm shoulder. “Do I have to meet with the representative?" She whispered in a tiny voice.  Rinko stepped up to them, calmly rubbing her back. “Yes, but we will be there, and we won’t allow anything to happen to you." She stated calmly. Tears slowly tracked down her cheeks. She knew this was necessary, that her magic needed to be trained, but meeting a wizard or  witch scared her.

Fear was skittering up her spine at the idea of wixen. She knew that they were just people. The Dursley’s had been terrible as well and they were evidently not magical. But the magical world was the place where all of her nightmares were created. 

It had always been witches and wizards who had harmed her the most. Hogwarts had trained it into her that  wixen were callously uncaring because she wasn’t a person to them. Nobody in that fucking castle had even tried to protect her from harassment and nobody except Hermione and Luna had cared when she’d been attacked. Magicals had been the ones who murdered Hedwig... and she still missed her beloved owl so fucking much.

“It’ll be okay  bishoujo ."  Nanjirou said softly, his bass voice rumbling reassuringly through her.  Hariel tried to stop crying, but somehow the tears just wouldn’t stop. Memories of cruel voices and pain lancing up her arm were drifting up from the depths of her mind. Nightmares flashing behind her eyes even though she was wide awake. She could almost feel the phantom sensation of her ribs creak, creak, creaking and breaking.

“Ugh." She eventually said, a headache blooming behind her eyes. “I never used to cry. Sorry... for being such a baby lately." She mumbled into his shoulder. Rinko sat down again, holding her arms out to take the girl into her arms. 

“Hariel... love, it is good that you can cry now. We cry so that others know we need help, or that we’re just not feeling well." She gently smoothed her hair away from her face. “I only worry when you try to hide your pain and do everything yourself."

Ryoga took a seat next to them, gently grasping her hand. “Yeah,  chibi -chan. How else would we know when to look out for you?" She almost started crying all over again, when  Ryoma poked her side, resulting in a startled squeak which was adorable. 

“Ri- chan , I love you, a lot. But I really didn’t like it when you used to hide everything. I was always worried that something bad happened to you. When you were still having so many nightmares, I worried that you’d overwork yourself." 

He sighed, looking much too serious for a fourteen-year-old. “I’ll never understand what your life was like before you became an Echizen, because kaa-san and  oyaji have always been here for me, but I hope that you will come to understand what being an Echizen means."

Nanjirou calmly spoke up, ruffling  Ryoma’s hair softly. “We know you’ve never had adults to rely on, and we’re proud of how independent you are. Just... try to rely on us, okay? We’re here for all of you, and we want to help."

Hariel nodded tearfully, a little ashamed, but also happy and relieved. It was a little bit of an emotional rollercoaster. When  Rinko saw her yawn, she was quickly bundled of to bed. 

Perching on the edge of her bed,  Rinko calmly brushed her hair out in long soothing strokes.  Hariel blinked sleepily. As her adoptive mother slowly braided her hair, she felt warm and safe. When  Rinko finally closed the door behind her, sleep claimed her and her dreams were, for once, warm.


	6. Match

Hariel yawned sleepily, still not fully awake. She dressed in black shorts with a blue t-shirt, drawn to the sky colour. Absently she made sure that she had everything she needed.  Karupin brushed past her legs, and she bent down to pat her brother’s familiar.

Unlocking the front door, she stared at the pink-orange sky. It was a beautiful sight, clouds fluffy and pure white, slowly being tinted pink with the light of the rising sun.

Closing the door behind her, she set off. 

Long hair free and flying behind her like a streaming banner twisting through the air, she ran. The cool air was a balm to her quickly heating skin. Her muscles burned as she nearly flew down the road. She pushed herself, reaching the river a little bit earlier than she usually did. 

She gulped in air, hands on her knees as she bent over to catch her breath. She greedily guzzled from the water bottle. Seeing  Kaidoh running towards her, she waved in welcome. He nodded  solemnly . “Good morning,  Kaidoh -san." She murmured softly. “Echizen-san." She hummed. “You can call me  Hariel , if you like." 

She was uncertain if he wanted to, but she felt like it was only right. They’d been running together every morning for over a month now. By unspoken agreement whoever reached the river first would wait for the other every morning. 

They didn’t talk much, but the company was never the less appreciated. She found him to be a quiet but kind person.

He nodded in agreement. “Fsshhhhh, Kaoru is fine." He grumbled, turning away as his cheeks pinked every so faintly.

“Kaoru- kun then." “ Fshhhh , Hariel-chan..."

In agreement, they spend the rest of their morning run in companionable silence. When it became time to split ways, she waved. “See you tomorrow." She stated cheerfully. He nodded, going his own way.

* * *

“ Ryoma ..." She poked his cheek again, the  greenette grumbled, trying to turn away from her.  Hariel giggled. She poked his cheek again. “Go away Ri-chan." He muttered, trying to hide beneath the blankets.

Hariel dragged the blankets away. “No, you have school, and  Momoshiro will be here in five minutes." Golden eyes finally opened. He rolled out of bed. “I’m up, I’m up. Now get out of my room, Ri, I have to change."

She hugged him,  somehow she was grateful to him for still being almost exactly the same as he’d always been.  Ryoma was her rock, her foundation. The boy stoically patted her messy hair, waiting patiently to be released. Burying her head in his neck, possible because he was actually taller than her, she inhaled his sun and  ponta scent before she finally released him. 

Ryoma , long since used to this, even if it had taken weeks before her old habits had shown up again as she adjusted to living with them, merely blinked as she walked away. As a little girl,  Hariel had hugged him as often as possible. In the beginning that had made him somewhat grumpy, embarrassed to be hugged by a girl. After he had first met the Dursley’s though, he never complained again. Hariel clearly needed as much love as possible, because her relatives were a waste of space and air and disgusting  lowlives to boot.

She bounded into  Ryoga’s room next. “Do you have class, niisan?" Another set of golden eyes blinked at her from the darkness, pale arms reaching out and dragging her beneath the covers. The oldest Echizen sibling curled around her, bundling her into his blankets and folding her into his embrace. “Not for another hour. If you shut up now, I can drop you off at the hospital." He sighed into her hair.

Hariel blinked, then she smiled softly. “Okay,  niisan ." She said, cuddling closer.  Ryoga grunted, satisfied, before going back to sleep. Hariel, listening to his steady heartbeat followed easily enough.

When  Rinko came to remind  Ryoga that he needed to pick up his new license for his motorcycle, she smiled at the sight which greeted her. “Hey, sleepyheads." She greeted softly, watching as green and gold appeared slowly. 

“Ryoga, remember to pick up your new motorcycle license this afternoon." He nodded vaguely, sleepily rubbing his cheek over Hariel’s messy soft hair. “ Hariel , do you have tutoring today?" She nodded. “I promised to drop her off and save her the walk if she let me sleep."  Ryoga muttered, finally deigning to let his  chibi-chan go.  Hariel , still not fully awake, wandered out of his room in search of breakfast. 

Rinko nodded. “Alright, if you hurry, I can make your two breakfast before I go to work." She said, and then left the room to follow Hariel.

Fifteen minutes later, all of them were fed and watered and going towards the driveway together.  Ryoga helped  Hariel climb onto his motorcycle, gave her one of the helmets and then the both of them waved as Rinko drove away. 

Wrapping her arms securely around his waist, she grinned as he sped down the road. She loved speed and she felt safe with Ryoga. It was the perfect transport, and she cursed the fact that she wasn’t allowed to drive yet.

All too soon the hospital rose up before them. She sighed in disappointment as she handed him the helmet. “Thanks for bringing me here,  niisan ." He ruffled her hair. “No problem,  chibi -chan." He frowned. “Don’t let that blue-haired brat get too close, okay?" She grinned up at him. “Seiichi-senpai is just pushing your buttons,  niisan . He would never do anything to me." 

Nodding  grumpily he waved one last time as she turned towards the hospital. “See you at dinner, and try your best okay?" She nodded. “Good luck at university, see you later niisan."

* * *

Hariel knocked on the door, waiting for the melodic voice to allow her entrance. She frowned when she saw Yukimura, he was pale, his hands were trembling and a frown was slashed into his face. 

She dropped her backpack on the floor, kicking of her shoes and left her jacket on the visitor’s chair. Then she hopped up into the bed with him, and without a word pressed a blessedly cool palm against his sweaty forehead.

Her other hand, she curled around the base of his neck. He sighed out in relief. “Hey Hariel-chan." He greeted slowly, voice cracking with pain. “Hey senpai... not a good day huh." He merely closed his eyes in defeat. “No... not, not a very good day." He uttered softly, voice a mere whisper.

“Go to sleep, Seiichi-senpai." She said kindly. He curled around her gloriously cool frame, overheated limbs snaking around her.  Hariel merely started running her hand through his hair, as she fished out her phone. After the accidental morning nap with  Ryoga and a full night’s sleep, she wasn’t tired.

She read up on the classic she was supposed to understand for Japanese literature, which remained her Achilles heel.

Her heart ached as she saw the frown he sported even in his sleep. This really was a bad day for him. It was rare that he was in that much pain, but every time it happened it was hard for her to see.

She ignored that though, because he needed her and pity never helped anybody. Instead she tried to make it bearable. She absently traced a few runes over his collar bones, pouring as much magic into them as possible. She didn’t know anything about healing, but her magic was instinct driven to an incredibly high degree. She trusted the warm heat of her magic and knew that if she guided it with the vague concepts of the runes that she would at least be able to help a little.

When he woke up, he was still pale and tired, but the pain seemed to have receded somewhat. “Hey." She looked up from her phone, warm green meeting dull violet. “Did you sleep well?" He nodded vaguely, trying to curl even closer around her. He was miserable, but  Hariel made him feel better and safe. As if her sheer presence was enough to reassure him that he would be okay, and that in the  meantime , it was okay to be like this too.

He blinked hazily as she read him his homework, trying to get his brain to work enough to answer the questions. With  Hariel’s patient help, sometimes rereading the question multiple times, he eventually managed to struggle through.

Yukimura was tired, and he felt that exhaustion bone deep. He wasn’t sleepy anymore though. “Say  Hariel-chan , what have you been up to lately?" He wanted a distraction and  Hariel obliged, aware that he just wanted to leave this hospital for a while, if only through her stories.

“I told you about Yuuta-kun, right? I practice with him sometimes." She stated thoughtfully. He nodded, eyes already sliding shut. Hariel didn’t take offense, she knew he was still paying attention. “He invited me to have dinner at his house. I was... nervous. I’ve never really been over to a friend’s house before. I mean, I was over at Ryoma’s house a lot but I was still a tiny kid back then and we were in England. I don’t really know the rules here." 

Yukimura frowned thoughtfully. He didn’t like the idea of  Hariel being anxious, but assumed that everything had ended up going well because she didn’t seem upset.

“It turns out that his older brother is one of  niichan’s teammates, Fuji Syusuke." Yukimura opened his eyes, her tone showing her to be somewhat flustered for some reason.  Hariel dropped her head in her hands, curling up to hide her burning red face. “Seiichi-senpai, what do I do... he makes me so nervous."

Violet eyes sharpened, if that sadist did anything to make her truly uncomfortable... He might have gotten somewhat protective of the tiny girl he tutored. 

“What did he do?" He asked softly.  Hariel curled up against his side, still hiding her burning face. “He called me beautiful and asked if I would model for him sometime. He gave me an amazing photograph of my river... He touched my face..."

Yukimura started smiling, ah the  tensai was interested in his friend. She was so unexperienced with romance that it flustered her. Cute... “How did that make you feel,  Hariel-chan ? Uncomfortable?"

She shook her head. “N-No... Syusuke-san was being really nice." Yukimura’s lips curled into a soft smile. “You call him by his first name? How intimate Hariel-chan..." He teased softly.

The girl squeaked, hiding her face more firmly in the curve of his neck. He gently patted her fluffy hair. “Don’t worry about it,  Hariel -chan. He probably just likes being around you." He felt her frown, warm breath skating over his skin as she spoke up. “Why? He barely knows  me, all he knew before I showed up yesterday was that I talked to  Yuuta-kun about his anger. Maybe that helped him reconnect with  Syusuke -san but I didn’t really do much. I mean, he said he saw me watching  nii-chan practice but why would that mean that he likes me?"

Yukimura’s heart ached, she was fierce, but times like this the picture he was getting of her old life was very sad. “Maybe that is enough to want to get to know you. Fuji is known as a  tensai , he probably picked up a lot about you as a person from observing you. If he was focussed on you that much, he must have liked what he saw."

“O-oh." She muttered softly, shyly. The idea that someone would just like her as a person was somewhat novel. Romance didn’t even occur to her though. She was dense.

“Just spend some time with him, maybe he could be your friend." Yukimura suggested slyly. He was not above meddling to make sure that  Hariel had the chance to fall in love. She obviously liked his attention well enough and she deserved to be flattered and treated nicely even if it went nowhere.

“I’ll try..." She whispered shyly. He nodded pleased.  Hariel brushed her fingers over the leaves of the plant she had given him as she went home. Making sure to pour magic into it. The plant smelling of witchmagic and creating a healing atmosphere.

* * *

Hariel dropped her backpack in the living room, shucked her jacket and ran back out of the door calling out to  Nanjirou and Nanako, the only ones who were at home as she went. “Bye, I’ll be home with  Ryoma-nii later." “Have fun,  bishoujo ." “See you later, Hariel-chan."

She bounded down the stairs, quickly gaining speed as she went. She thought the distance from the temple to Seigaku made for a nice chance to go all out. 

She slowed down as she approached the gate, circling the school to reach the tennis courts. She sighed, trying to slow down her breathing as she watched the regulars starting to gather.  Ryoma caught her eye for a second, nodding to her. She smiled, nodding back. He cared a lot, her stoic brother. 

She kept vigil for a while, looking around in confusion when she didn’t spot the  tensai . “Are you looking for someone,  Hariel-chan ?" A soft voice spoke up from beside her. The missing Fuji was standing close enough to make her almost hyper aware of him  immediately , but far enough that it didn’t draw any attention.

Her magic immediately drew around him, as if drawn by his mere presence. Hot waves of her power coiling invisibly over him.

“Ah, S- Syusuke -san... " She said shyly. “Hello..." He smiled, that gentle expression he was known for. “Were you perhaps looking for me?" He asked ‘kindly’.

She flushed. “I, I was just a little bit worried, wondering why you weren’t with the other regulars." She whispered, glancing away timidly. “My, how kind of you to look out for me. It’s good to know that you would miss me if I don’t show up." He teased her gently, chuckling as he watched the soft blush flare into a bright red which nearly glowed on her pale cheeks.

He looked at her closely, her skin was rosy and small droplets of sweat clung to her. Her chest was still heaving slightly. He tried to keep his gaze from lingering. “Saa  Hariel-chan , did you run all the way to  Seigaku ?" He asked curiously, presuming that she came from her house that would mean that she had some serious stamina. Probably better even than some of the regulars. 

She nodded. “I was on the late side when I got back home from tutoring.  So I ran from the temple to make it in time to watch your practice." He nodded, impressed. “When did you leave home?" She frowned, trying to remember. His eyes opened slightly, sharp blue eyes glancing at her face when she answered. “That is remarkable. You must have a lot of stamina, speed demon-chan."

She smiled softly. “I just love to run. It feels a lot like freedom to me." He nodded, wondering why she desired freedom so much... “Saa...  Hariel-chan , will you play a match against me?" She startled. “Are you sure? From what I’ve seen you are much stronger than I am."

Fuji was amused, most people would jump at the chance to test themselves against him. She worried instead if that wouldn’t bore him. “I like to play tennis against people who... interest me." He stated thoughtfully. “It’s a good way to get to know people." She nodded along, because he was right. You could see people for who they were on the courts, at least if they were skilled tennis players.

“Alright, after your practice then?" She asked curiously. He nodded, tennis racket under his arms and hands shoved into his pockets, he made his way onto the court. No need to draw... attention to her. Fuji did not like to share.

* * *

Hariel walked besides Fuji, almost flinching away from the many people gazing at her. Fuji, who was observing her closely, opened his eyes to glare at the gawking people. They scattered to the four winds. He smiled  gently, eyes closed again before she even turned around.

“Uhm, we can go to the court by the temple, or a street court. What do you want to do?" She asked softly. “Won’t Echizen want to use that court?" She shook her head. “ Nii-chan is going out today with  Momoshiro , I think. For burgers maybe?" She had vaguely caught the conversation, and  Ryoma had come over to tell her that he was going out.

He had asked her along, but since Fuji had already asked for her time, she declined. Fuji, now clad in his school uniform answered slowly. “Well, if we can use the court right by your  house you’ll already be home. It makes no difference for me whether I go home from your house or a street court."

She blinked. “Oh, I can show you my plants. They’ve been growing beautifully  lately, the roses are vibrant." He smiled, satisfied that she had a further plan than only the match. He wanted her attention and time. Her reactions were delightfully cute. Polar opposite from the scripted responses of the many girls who asked him out, trying to be cute.

He hummed softly. “Did you draw anybody at tennis practice?"  Hariel flushed bright red, she had in fact drawn him. “M-Maybe." He nearly chuckled, so she’d drawn him then. He couldn’t read her half the time and the other half of the time she was adorably obvious.

“May I see some of your drawings?" She nodded shyly, unused to the interest. Fishing out her ever-present sketchbook, she quickly selected a drawing which did not have him as the subject. Ryoma was drawn in the middle of his signature twist-serve. In bold ink strokes, the drawing in simple black in white. “It’s almost like he could just step of the page and serve..." Fuji said. Hariel flipped the page, showing a soft pencil sketch of Ryoga. “... it’s Echizen, but older."

Hariel snorted. “ Ryoga-niisan is literally an older copy of  Ryoma ." Fuji  blinked, a little bit nonplussed. “Does he play tennis as well?" She nodded always happy to talk about her new family. “Rinko-san and Nanako-san don’t, well not competitively, Rinko-san did like tennis but she’s focussed on her job right now. She’s a lawyer."

Hariel frowned, bad memories bubbling to the surface like poison. “She arranged for my adoption." Fuji nearly frowned, seeing the old hurt. “Do you like being an Echizen?" He asked softly, trying to redirect her attention. A quick side glance showed that she recognized what he did, but she gratefully replied.

“It’s amazing, they’ve all been so kind and welcoming. It’s almost like  Ryoga and  Ryoma have always been my siblings. I met them for the first time when I was five, and they’ve always looked after me.  Nanjirou -san and  Rinko -san... I almost wish I had been born from them."

She sighed, staring up at the blue sky, clouds whimsically drifting by. “My birth parents died so I could live, protecting me." He softly grabbed her hand, entwining their fingers delicately before squeezing softly. “I’m sorry for your loss." 

And somehow, this time, it felt sincere. In the magical world the loss of the Potters had always been glossed over in favour of the elation of her so-called victory. In Surrey everyone had presumed them to be deadbeat drunks. This might very well be the first time she actually heard that, and it touched a soft place inside her which had been hurting ever since she realised what that green light and those terrified screams in her dreams, nightmares, memories, meant.

She smiled up at him, a watery but ultimately happy expression on her face. “Thank you." She grimaced suddenly. “I’m sorry, I don’t know what possessed me to just tell you that. I didn’t mean to bother you."

Fuji merely tightened his grip on her hand, quite unwilling to relinquish his grip on her. “I prefer this to small talk. At least when you talk to me, you are real." She frowned up at him. “Is that a problem for you? Finding genuine people?" He sighed, nodding. “Ever since it became obvious that I was... different, people have been praising me and trying to get my attention. Most of the time, they are fake in their approach. I know I have it good, but it’s a little bit as if I’m not... saa, not a person."

Hariel’s wide green eyes stared up into his cerulean blue orbs, understanding swimming in their depths. “They see the  tensai , they don’t see you, Syusuke-san." She stated softly. He nodded. “Exactly."

“Because I survived a terrorist attack when my parents didn’t, I was called the Girl-Who-Lived. At my old school, everyone knew that story. I was... never just Hariel." He hummed softly in understanding, he tugged her closer, resting a gentle hand on her shoulder. “Well, Hariel-chan... I just want to get to know you." She smiled up at him, a small hand reaching out to touch his soft hair, which had been tempting her for weeks now. “Syusuke-san... I’d like to get to know you too." She twined her fingers through the soft strands. “I already learned something: your hair is really soft."

With a smirk, Fuji raised his hand, tugging playfully on her own hair. “And you have blue hair under the sun, Hariel-chan..."

She grinned, tugging him along in her wake as she started walking again towards the temple. “We’re  off to a good start then."

* * *

Hariel started of the match with a slice serve. Sharp blue eyes zeroed in on the ball and easily returned the serve. 

The match was fierce from the start, both teenagers sharp and calculating tennis players. Often returning seemingly impossible balls.

The first match went to Fuji, easily, because of his  Tsubame Gaeshi.  Hariel watched with interest as the ball crawled along the ground. Despite playing against an ex-pro for years, she had yet to see something like that.

With her split step she was more than fast enough to reach the swallow return, sliding low over the court she used her racket to counter the extreme spin as returned the ball, proud to see it soar over the net.

Fuji, wasn’t very used to having one of his counters broken. This might well be a first, since  Tezuka with his zone never allowed the counters to be used. Blue eyes locked onto her bloody knees where she kneeled on the gravel, having gone into a slide to return the seemingly impossible ball.

“You can break  Tsubame Gaeshi, but I don’t want to see more blood, not on you. I won’t hit it anymore, since you can return it." She nodded thoughtfully, aware that he wasn’t going easy on her, so much as making sure she wouldn’t hurt herself to prove something she had already proven.

Fuji won, but  Hariel was proud of herself, he hadn’t had an easy time of it. He was definitely one of the strongest players she had ever faced. He won 6 games to 4. 

Sitting down on the temple steps,  Hariel handed him a water bottle, greedily guzzling down her own water. “That was a good match,  Syusuke -san. Your counters are incredible."  Hariel stated quietly, happy to sit in the sun and think about tennis. He was right, tennis did help in getting to know someone. She was already feeling more comfortable around him.

“You are very fast, I had a hard time with that and you just keep going, you’ve got amazing stamina." Fuji smiled at her, not bothering to close his eyes. She didn’t seem unnerved by his too sharp gaze anyway. “It was quite amazing, the way you broke my  Tsubame Gaeshi." She hummed happily. “It’s an amazing technique, I rarely encounter something that hard to break."

He watched her bloody knees, red liquid still slowly trickling down her pale strong legs. “Do you have a first aid box?” He asked serenely.  Hariel blinked at him, a little confused, why would he need it? “Did you injure yourself?” She asked, concerned. Fuji... stared. “No, but you are injured,  Hariel -chan.” She cocked her head to the side. “Eh, these are just  scratches .”

Fuji frowned. “I’d feel better if you allowed me to take care of them.” She nodded shyly, unused to concern over such a minor, at least in her eyes, matter. She jogged to the house, and quickly returned with the first aid kit. 

Fuji opened the box, kneeling in front of her as she sat on the temple steps, he dabbed some peroxide on the wounds.  Hariel hissed, but otherwise didn’t react to the chemical’s sting.

Carefully he cleaned her legs of the blood with water, softly rubbing off the flaked blood. He blew gently, trying to dry the open wounds. Then he put two pristine white square band-aids over her knees. “There, all new.” He said, looking up at her awed face. Nobody ever really... cared so much.

They sat in silence for a while, it was oddly comfortable. “Do you want to see the garden?" She eventually asked, he liked plants right, so she wasn’t being a bother right? Fuji nodded. “Can I change first? Or do you want to drag me off right away?"  Hariel flushed, the comment somehow suggestive. “I can wait, I want to change to." She answered. Hopping up onto her feet she held out her hand towards him, he accepted easily enough. 

She left Fuji in the downstairs bathroom, as she went to her own room to change after a quick shower. Water still dripping from her hair, she tried to dry it as quickly as possible and ended up just pinning it up with two pencils. 

Underwear, soft old blue t-shirt stolen from Nanjirou, in a familiar cerulean shade subconsciously chosen and short jeans were quickly put on before she bounded down the stairs again. 

Just in time apparently, as Fuji opened the door downstairs, leaving the bathroom with the white button-up and the black slacks from his school uniform. Quite unlike at school, his shirt was untucked and the sleeves were rolled up to just beneath his elbows.

“Uhm, do you want to see the garden now? Or do you have to go home, I mean I’d understand and I don’t want to take up your time or..."  Hariel abruptly stopped, blushing bright red as Fuji gently pressed a finger to her lips. 

“Hariel-chan, I don’t want to go home." He stated candidly, aware that she needed the reassurance. He did wonder who had trained her to presume she was a burden or unwelcome. He’d like to... express his displeasure.

“Show me your flowers?" She nodded, taking his hand and tugging him towards the backdoor. “Ah,  Hariel-chan , welcome home." A young woman with dark blue hair came towards them, carrying a laundry basket. “Nanako-san, this is Fuji  Syusuke ,  Ryoma’s teammate and uhm, my friend." 

Nanako smiled softly at the young girl her family had adopted. She had been here for months but this was the first time she brought someone home and even claimed him as a friend tentatively. “Syusuke-san," Nanako’s eyes widened,  Hariel , despite not being raised Japanese was unfailingly polite.  So this was telling.

“This is  Meino Nanako, m-my cousin." She barely stuttered during her claim, but both picked up on it. “It’s good to meet a friend of  Hariel-chan , if you’d like you can stay for dinner."  Hariel awkwardly glanced at the boy from beneath her eyelashes. She wanted him to stay, but it was his choice. 

“If it is no bother, I’d like to stay Meino-san." Nanako smiled. “Very well, I’ll see you two at dinner." She said, and went on her way.

Hariel’s grin was radiant, happy as she was that Fuji would stay. Grasping his hand without thinking about it, her magic heated up at the contact, ecstatic spirals whirling around his slender frame. She towed him to the garden, not seeing his indulgent smile as the petite girl held his hand.

_ “Miss  _ _ Hariel _ _ , would you give me a tour through your domain?"  _ Fuji asked in flawless, mildly accented English, offering her his arm.

Not overthinking it, she set her hand in the crook of his arm, his hand covering hers softly.  _ “Your English is good,  _ _ Syusuke _ _."  _ She complimented seriously. He barely had any accent. She tried not to keep watching strong pale forearms. He was distracting.

Their match had taken up quite a lot of time and the rest of the time until dinner they spend in the garden. They didn’t get very far, with both teens admiring petals and different shades of the same flowers, discussing the tending of plants, time flew by. She didn’t know anyone else, except for Seiichi-senpai, who shared her love of green growing things.

Ryoma was in the kitchen, having gotten home after his outing with Momo. He frowned curiously. “Oi, Nanako, why is there an extra plate?" He asked bluntly.

“Hariel-chan brought home a friend, your teammate actually." Nanako answered distractedly, flipping the chicken.  Ryoma’s eyes widened as far as he knew  Hariel only knew one regular. “Fuji-senpai is here?" She nodded. “It was quite  cute, I saw him escorting  Hariel through the garden from the window just now."

“Eh? Escorting?" Nanako smiled. “Yes  Ryoma -san, as in arm in arm, like in those old romantic movies."  Ryoma groaned. “I can’t go against Fuji-senpai, he’d make my life hell at school with his teasing. How am I going to protect Ri- chan from that smiling menace... "

Nanako hid a grin behind her hair. “I don’t think you need to rescue her, from what I’ve seen the young man is being very thoughtful and kind."  Ryoma’s eyes widened, Fuji-senpai, kind and thoughtful? He knew that the senior didn’t actually try to hurt people’s feelings, but his teasing was legendary a nd he loved to see people struggle, the sadist.

Nanjirou and  Rinko entered the kitchen together, the woman talking about her day while her husband listened. For all his jokes, the samurai was a very loving husband and father. 

“...my case is going to be postponed, but I would rather..." She blinked. “Ah, hello  Ryoma , Nanako."  Ryoma nodded in greeting still a little bit unsure what to think about having his senpai over. 

“Welcome home,  obaa -san." Nanako said, still focussed on her frying pan.  Nanjirou , as  Ryoma had done minutes before, immediately noticed the extra plate. “Who’s the plate for?"  Ryoma sighed. “Fuji-senpai. Apparently  Hariel brought him home, though I don’t know why she would do that. He’ll just gather more blackmail." 

“Ah, you do think highly of me, Echizen." A soft voice spoke up from the door to the backyard.  Rinko smiled, seeing her stoic son stricken like this was entertaining. “You must be Ryoma’s Fuji-senpai then?" She asked kindly. 

The boy nodded, eyes still curved shut and mouth pulled in his gentle smile. “I am Fuji  Syusuke , ma’am. Nice to meet you." He said politely.  Hariel was standing by his side, still with an arm hooked through his. His body heat was radiating against her side and was extremely soothing. Her magic, like it always seemed to in his presence was almost singing and whirling around him.

He ended up seated beside  Hariel ,  Ryoga bursting through the door just before the start of dinner. “Ah good, I made it." He said, tossing his helmet and his backpack into the hallway and hurriedly washing his hands before taking his seat. “Who’s he?" Just as blunt as his younger copy, he zeroed in on the boy seated  beside his baby sister. 

“I’m Fuji  Syusuke . It’s nice to meet you, older Echizen."  Hariel giggled.  Rinko smiled, while Nanako hid a grin.  Ryoga and  Ryoma really did look a lot alike. The  greenet sighed. “It’s  Ryoga ,  gaki ." “It’s  Syusuke ,  Ryoga ." “Show some respect,  gaki ." Fuji blinked, tilting his head to the side innocently. “I called you exactly what you said to call you."

Hariel giggled again, thoroughly entertained.  Ryoma smirked, glad that Fuji seemed to find  Ryoga an interesting target.

Ryoga , already exasperated turned to  Hariel . “Do you just attract people like this, or do you go looking for them. They are way too much alike in all the worst ways  chibi -chan."  Hariel blinked up at him charmingly. “But  nii-san , Seiichi-senpai and  Syusuke -san are both amazing tennis players. Shouldn’t you be happy that I brought them into your life."

Ryoma’s eyes widened in horror. “You’re telling me there are more of senpai running around."  Ryoga nodded, glad someone understood his horror. “Her tutor is just like that. Also an angelically smiling teasing menace."

“Saa, who is your tutor  Hariel-chan ?" Fuji asked casually, curious who he was being compared to and trying to ignore the tiny flare of jealousy in the pit of his stomach. He barely even knew  her, he had no reason to already be possessive even if she was the most interesting girl he knew. He tried to tear his eyes away from the small water droplet sliding down her neck from her slowly drying hair.

“Uhm, his name is Yukimura Seiichi, he agreed to tutor me for a while. He is also my friend." She answered shyly, not really liking that she was the centre of attention. 

“ Rikkaidai’s captain?" Fuji asked, ever so slightly stunned.  Hariel nodded, oblivious. “What’s so special about  Rikkaidai , senpai?"  Ryoma asked bluntly. “They are at a national level if not higher, Echizen." Fuji explained. “They’ve won the championship for two years in a row under his leadership."

“Ah, I knew senpai was good, but that’s amazing."  Hariel grinned.  Ryoga sighed. “You promise that he wasn’t doing anything strange to you right? You were suspiciously close in the park." He frowned in  Hariel’s direction. “First the youngest Fuji and now the oldest and Yukimura too, can’t you just become friends with girls? It would be much better for me, I don’t want to go grey yet,  chibi -chan..."

Hariel smiled at the dramatic young man as  Rinko hid a smile, her boys were both very much on board with being  Hariel’s overprotective older brothers. “Seiichi-senpai really just likes teasing you,  niisan . He’s not flirting with me at all."  Ryoga looked at her with a disbelieving gaze. “Or maybe he was, but only to tease you. Senpai is really just a very close friend." She shrugged loosely. “It’s a little strange how quickly we became close, but he just feels familiar. Like you did, Ryoma-nii, when I met you."

Ryoma’s frown cleared up, their relationship had been platonic from the very start, siblings at heart. If Yukimura was like that for  Hariel he probably did not need to worry. Fuji relaxed ever so slightly, he really didn’t like the idea of  Hariel being pursued by someone. 

Nanjirou finally spoke up. “ So you play tennis, gaki?" Fuji was entertained, it was rare that people would just think of him as a brat, they were always intimidated by his intellect or respectful. He quite liked the Echizen’s, they were a very blunt funny family. He nodded softly. “It’s a hobby." Nanjirou observed him closely. “You any good?" 

“ Nanjirou -san... he already had tennis practice and he played a match against me. You can’t challenge Syusuke-san today."  Hariel spoke up, anticipating easily where the Samurai was going with this.

“But  Hariel-chan , how am I supposed to know if he is worthy of being in your presence if I can’t test him." “Saa, I would love to have a match." Sharp blue eyes clashed with the Samurai’s hazel-brown. 

Ryoga leaned over to murmur in  Hariel’s ear. “Wow,  chibi-chan , your boy’s got steel lining his spine."  Hariel flushed bright red. “He’s not mine,  niisan , and he probably just wants to test himself against the Samurai."  Ryoga looked at his baby sister, amazed by her ignorance. “ Chibi -chan... he wants to prove himself worthy to  oyaji ... for you."

“Eh?" She squeaked, turning bright red. “ Hariel -chan..."  Ryoga muttered exasperated. She could be shy about the strangest things.

“Alright then  gaki , we’ll have a match after dinner." “Che."  Ryoma said, annoyed. He hadn’t gotten the chance yet to play against Fuji-senpai.

* * *

Fuji was focussed, his racket held delicately and sharp blue caught in interest on the way the older man was using the famous Samurai zone.

Hariel watched, anxious without knowing why, she wanted Fuji to impress Nanjirou... Why was this so important to her?

Rinko smiled, watching her daughter observe the tennis match nervously. She remembered what had been written on  Hariel’s precious photograph. They had found a nice frame for it, and now it hung pride of place above her bed. 

‘To the most beautiful girl I’ve ever seen, thank you, I look forward to getting to know you.  Syusuke .'  Hariel had blushed an adorable shade of red at the message.

She had caught the girl smiling softly at that photograph sometimes, this boy had made an immense impression already.

She smoothed a gentle hand over  Hariel’s wild hair. She had removed the pencils to chew on one of them absently, long hair tumbling down her back.

Ryoma and  Ryoga were watching in interest as the  tensai went all out, trying to score a point against the ex-pro. It was an amazing sight, Fuji was playing at a higher level than he had against Hariel, but she didn’t feel insulted.

The match ended with Fuji scoring only three points, but against  Nanjirou , that was an amazing accomplishment.  Ryoga could equal that, but  Ryoma had yet to actually score against him and Hariel had never managed it either.

Hariel bounded up to the boy, he was standing with his hands on his knees, exhausted. A frustrated glimmer in his eyes. He had wanted to do better for  Hariel , but at the same time he knew he had done his best. Fierce blue sharpened  further, he’d just have to train harder. For possibly the first time, he wanted to become stronger, to be the best he could possibly be. Tennis had always been so easy, but a true challenge was  exhilarating .

She handed him a water bottle. “That was amazing  Syusuke -san. I’ve never seen anybody but  Ryoga get a point of  Nanjirou -san." The Samurai himself nodded reluctantly. “You are good,  gaki , those counters of yours are interesting." “Thank you, Echizen-san." Fuji answered softly. “Eh, call me  Nanjirou ." The father sighed, irritated. “Somehow I have a feeling we will be seeing a lot more of you."

Fuji smiled angelically. “Thank you  Nanjirou -san."  Ryoma approached, shoving his cap down further. “Che, you’re good Fuji-senpai, play a match against me?"  Ryoga followed his recalcitrant little brother. Stealing his cap and placing it on his own head, he ruffled  Ryoma’s hair. “He’s never going to stop challenge you now, Fuji." 

The  tensai merely smiled softly, gaze caught on  Hariel’s loose hair, shining blue and curling over her bare shoulder, where her too big t-shirt had slid down. “Saa, if  Tezuka matches us up, I’ll be sure to play well against you, Echizen." 

The green-haired boy grunted, annoyed. “ Buchou never does." Fuji smiled at him, closed eyes and signature gentle curve. “I’m sure that if you have patience, he will eventually." He said innocently, as if he couldn’t play a match against  Ryoma whenever he felt like it, with the way the brat challenged him.

“Che."  Ryoma stalked off, irritated.  Karupin , who had been coming towards him, meowed and instead wound around  Hariel’s legs. She was almost as good as his human at patting him. She picked up the fluffy  himalayan cat,  craddling him gently. “Hey  Karupin , you just missed  Ryoma-nii ." She told him gently, familiars were much smarter than regular animals. 

The cat merely rubbed his head under her chin, meowing softly.  Hariel glanced at Fuji, trying not to blush at the sight of his warm skin coated in sweat. “Ah, this is  Karupin ,  Ryoma-nii's cat." She introduced calmly, glancing away from the senior to avoid the tempting sight.

“Oi,  oyaji , are you slowing down in your old age, letting a brat get that many points off of you?"  Ryoga smirked at  Nanjirou , casually needling him. The older Echizen soon had him in a headlock as they also stalked off. “Shut up,  gaki . The kid was pretty good, might give you a run for your money."

Hariel sighed as she watched them go, so rude... “Sorry about them, you’re used to  Ryoma-nii , but  niisan and  Nanjirou -san are just as bad... brats all of them." “Saa, I don’t mind, they are funny." Fuji said, a teasing glint in his now open blue eyes.  Hariel decided that she liked it better when she could see his cerulean orbs, but refused to think about why.

“Just don’t tease  niichan too much, he can be annoying when he sulks." She muttered, blushing as he came closer, patting the cat softly, which  Karupin allowed with dignity. He glanced at his phone regretfully. It was already late, and his mother wanted him home. “Saa, I have to go now,  Hariel -chan." He set a gentle hand on the curve of her naked shoulder, which felt intimate. “Thank you for the match and the tour, and your lovely company."

Impulsively she hugged him. “Thank you for coming over." She muttered, and then she nearly turned tail to run away, incredibly embarrassed. Fuji caught her by the waist before she could run away. He hugged her closer, plastering their bodies indecently close together.  Hariel felt her cheeks glow hotly with a fire-engine red blush at the feeling of his body.

He leaned down to whisper in her ear. “It was my pleasure..." His hand slid over the back of her neck winding into her hair, cradling her close with one arm around her waist. He lingered for a moment and then let her go.

He started walking away, satisfied with her cute reactions towards him and even more by her initiating physical contact.

Hariel just stared at him mutely, face still bright red. Watching him go.

* * *

Hariel flopped down onto her bed,  Karupin curling up on her stomach, she stared at the photograph he had given her. She buried her face in her pillow groaning softly. A slow curl of liquid heat simmering in her belly at the memory of him so close and touching her so gently.

“What am I going to do...  Karupin ." The cat merely meowed, sand-papery tongue licking her cheek.  Rinko knocked on the open door softly. “A letter came, we have an appointment with the magical government’s representative tomorrow."

With one sentence the curiously hot feeling was extinguished. She looked up at her adoptive mother with wide open, scared eyes. “ Kaa-chan ,  kaa-chan I don’t want to go." She whispered, the terrified whites of her eyes showing. In her fear she had accidentally finally called her mom.

Rinko came to sit on the side of her bed. “You need magical training sweetheart." She smoothed a soothing hand over her daughter’s unruly locks. “It won’t be like Hogwarts, you are in our custody, they can’t force you to do anything."

Panic skittering up her spine she abruptly sat up, disturbing  Karupin who yowled and fled the room. “I can’t. I can’t do this,  kaa-chan please... don’t make me go back."  Rinko gather up the girl in her lap, as if she was a tiny child still and not a teenager. “I won’t make you go  back, it will only be one person who is coming over and we won’t make you do anything."

It took  Hariel a while to calm down. By the time she did, she was exhausted. “So, did you have a good time today with Fuji- kun ?"  Rinko asked gently, curious.  Hariel immediately blushed a bright red. “I... he... I don’t... I hugged him impulsively, I don’t know why, I barely know him."

Rinko picked up her sketchbook, glancing at her to make sure it was okay, when  Hariel nodded with an  embarrassed look on her face she leafed through it. “This doesn’t look like you barely know him, you’ve been watching him for weeks. Did he react negatively or something? You are allowed to hug friends you know. Even new friends."

“N-No, he hugged me back, even caught me when I tried to run away because I was embarrassed."  Hariel muttered, staring at her own drawings, Fuji’s face looking back at her.

“Then what is the problem? You both enjoyed the contact."  Hariel’s blush returned. “I... is that really okay? I mean, what if he just did it trying not to embarrass me."  Rinko nearly giggled, that boy had been watching  Hariel and seemed drawn to her side like a magnet. 

“Sweetheart, I guarantee you, he probably wanted to hug you. He was focussed on you the entire time he was here." Shy green eyes peeked at her from behind long black hair. “Really?"  Rinko nodded, tugging the blankets over her small frame. “Really." 

She stood up, turning off the lights as she went. “ Oh and  Hariel ?" “Hmm?" She hummed sleepily. “Thank you, for calling me  kaa -chan."  Hariel’s eyes opened again. “O-Oh, really?"  Rinko nodded, a soft smile on her face. “If you want to call  Nanjirou tou-chan, he’ll be over the moon." “O-Okay." “Goodnight, sweetheart." “Night, kaa-chan..."


	7. Natural Bond

Hariel woke up too early for comfort, it was still dark outside. She stepped into the shower, dazed but unable to sleep anymore. The hot water pounded on her back as she slowly tried to breath, to let go of the tension knotted into the muscles of shoulders. Rationally she knew that not all  wixen were going to hurt her, that the representative would be Japanese and might not even know her at all... She truly believed that Luna and Hermione would never hurt her.

But the fear was just too strong, too linked with magic in general if not her own magical core.

She tilted her face up to the streams of warm water, rushing over her naked skin like a warm hug. When she finally left the shower, she towelled off roughly and put on track pants and one of  Ryoga’s t-shirts. She had slowly developed a habit of stealing clothing from  Ryoga ,  Ryoma and Nanjirou. Their clothes were associated with good things, large and warm, almost like a hug in fabric form. That they dwarfed her form just made her feel safe.

Before anybody even stirred at the Echizen household, she was out of the door, locking it securely behind it. For once she took the short route to the river, only to lap around it to the next bridge to run around on the shores again. 

It took her a long time to let go of the anxious thoughts. It all boiled down to the fact that she did trust Nanjirou and Rinko not to let anything happen to her.

As the sun finally crested over the horizon, she spotted  Kaidoh making his way towards the river. Speeding up too catch up to him, she nodded in greeting, focussed on keeping her breathing even and deep.

At their usual stop, she hunched over, hands on her knees, trying to get her breath back. “Fsshhhh, you’re not normally this tired?" The taller brunet spoke up, curiosity and concern evident in his grumpy voice.

“I ran from our usual bridge to the next one three times."  Kaidoh’s eyes widened, she’d been running for over an hour? “What happened?" He asked gruffly.  Hariel didn’t usually do this and for her to disturb her own morning routine something was likely wrong.

Hariel huffed. “That obvious huh?" He  shoke his head. “No... I just got to know you better."  Kaidoh murmured, looking away awkwardly.

Her eyes softened. “Thank you for asking, Kaoru- kun . I have an appointment with k- kaa - chan and  tou-chan to talk about going to school. I dreamed about the memories." She ended up saying. All true, but without mentioning that it had been specifically the magical world which had set her off. Since he was a mundane.

“ Fsshhhh . It’s good that you can call them that, now." He commented softly. He had been the silent witness of her slow integration into her new family. She had needed advice and reassurance sometimes and he was more than willing to listen. Just like she was always willing to listen to his frustrations and worries.

For two introverts, the quiet companionship and helping hand were more than appreciated. She nodded, because she was happy to be able to call them that now.

She leaned against his shoulder, and he silently adjusted to take the weight, used to her need for contact now. He sometimes patted her head and often sat close enough as a silent  invitation for exactly this ritual. He could admit to himself that over the months he had become attached to this girl. 

Hariel hummed quietly, her magic soft and coiling smoothly. She sighed noiselessly, at least the reinstated contact with the magical world could help her research what was going on with her magic. She had thought her magical reaction to  Ryoma had been accidental magic and a one-off. That was obviously not at all true, because her magic was drawing her towards Yukimura,  Kaidoh and even Fuji, the older one, very strongly.

It seemed to like  Yuuta well enough, but nothing like this. Thoughtfully she realised that her friendship with  Yuuta was probably, for lack of a better description, normal. Her bond with Yukimura and slowly with  Kaidoh as well, was much closer than usual.  Ryoma was good friends with  Momoshiro now, but their friendship was like hers and Yuuta’s. 

The only bonds she could really compare her two closest friendships with was her connection to her brother and the magical bond with her godfather.

She dismissed the  thoughts, she was just going in circles after all without new information. “Say, Kaoru- kun , do you want to have breakfast together? I can make us something at the temple, because nobody else is going to be up for a while." 

He nodded  slowly, they usually went their separate ways after running together, but maybe this was fine.  Hariel reaching out was a good thing, he knew he was socially awkward and grumpy but she was his friend and he could certainly appreciate spending time with her.

They jogged towards the temple, in easy silence as always. She unlocked the door, making sure to be somewhat quiet on the off chance that Nanako and  Rinko were still sleeping. The male Echizen’s could sleep straight through just about any noise after all.

She gestured towards the table. “Take a seat, I’ll make breakfast." She said softly, taking  ingredients for a healthy breakfast out of the fridge. “ Fssshhhh ." He hissed, as he sat down awkwardly.

Hariel nearly grinned, for all that he looked intimidating, he could be very innocent and kind.

“I’m going to sign up for  Seigaku ." She mentioned out of nowhere, finally sure of her decision as she  realised she already had true friends at that school.  Ryoma would never allow anything to happen and she’d heard enough about Coach Ryuzaki to trust that there were adults there who would genuinely do their job. Not allowing students to actually suffer at their school.

“Fssshhhh, good." He answered shortly, but kindly. A hint of happiness at the idea of seeing her at school evident in his voice.

She gently sat a plate down in front of him. Taking a seat right beside him. She ate slowly, she’d never turn down food after nearly starving at the Dursley’s but sometimes she ate slower if her mind was elsewhere. She leaned her head against  Kaidoh’s shoulder, tired. Old memories, and her endless debates with herself whether to go to school taking their toll.

“Hariel-chan, good morning. Who is this?" Nanako stated softly, coming through the kitchen door dressed for university. “Ah, Nanako-san, this is Kaoru- kun . We run together every morning." She turned to look at  Kaidoh . “This is my cousin,  Meino Nanako." Nanako hummed, she hadn’t known.  Hariel wasn’t necessarily being cagy, but she was an introvert conditioned to keep to herself. 

“Nice to meet you." The brunet muttered awkwardly, accidentally looking threatening in his discomfort. Nanako almost wanted to shrink away shyly when she noticed that  Hariel was hiding a smile. Looking closer, she spotted rosy cheeks as he glanced away and realised that he was likely just shy.

“Nice to meet you too, Kaidoh-kun." She gathered her bento from the fridge. “I’m sorry I have to go right away." She bowed politely and left the same way she had arrived.

They sat in comfortable silence for a while. “Did you up your training again? I thought I saw you doing a different exercise?" She asked idly, comfortably leaning against his shoulder.

“Inui-senpai created a new menu for me."  Hariel hummed approvingly. “I doubled it." “You are a stamina monster, Kaoru-kun. I’d hate to be scheduled to play against you." “Fsshhh, you have amazing stamina as well, Hariel-chan."

“What is Inui-senpai like? You spend a lot of time with  him right?" She asked curiously. Deciding to go to  Seigaku likely meant getting to know  Ryoma’s team. She couldn’t avoid it anymore. She was still intimidated by crowds, but she knew from the stories, and her interactions with the two regulars she knew other than  Ryoma, that they were good people.

“Senpai..." He stopped, a thoughtful frown on his face. “He helps me out a lot." He eventually stated.  Hariel nodded, that was good, and coming from the grumpy reticent boy a ringing endorsement.

Ryoma walked in to the kitchen half dressed, stopping short in confused surprise. “ Kaidoh -senpai?" “ Fshhh , Echizen." He said grumpily. Realising the time, he stood up. Patting  Hariel’s head very gently he nodded to her. “I’m going now, see you tomorrow  Hariel-chan , thank you for breakfast." “Bye Kaoru- kun ." She murmured absently, standing up to cook  Ryoma breakfast, taking the empty plates along towards the sink.

“You know  Kaidoh -senpai?"  Ryoma asked grumpily, he did not like realising that  Hariel had developed a whole life outside of their family while he had been stuck at school every day. Hariel, dense as a brick sometimes, realised he was grumpy but not why. “Uhm, I... uh, run with him every morning?" She answered, a little bit confused and slightly wary.

Ryoma sighed, the Dursley’s had never wanted to know anything about her, always ignoring her. Getting  Hariel to share her thoughts was like pulling teeth. She was simply too used to keeping everything to herself. She really couldn’t  help it at this point. 

“Just... try to talk more about the people you meet and the places you go, Ri-chan. We want to know about your days. I’m not mad, just surprised to see another one of my senpai here without warning."

“Sorry." She said softly, looking down as she passed him his full plate.  Ryoma merely sighed, pressing a loving kiss to her cheek as he went to sit down.  Karupin jumping into his lap. “Thank you for making breakfast." He merely said.

Hariel had cooked enough for the rest of the family, making sure to put the plates safely away covered in clingwrap, she retreated to her room. She wasn’t going to the hospital today, at least not in the morning. 

She puttered around uselessly, before sighing and going for another shower, taking neat clothes with her as if dressing in war armour for the upcoming meeting with the magical  representative .

She closed her eyes and let the water carry away her tears, as if they’d never been there. Rivulets sliding down her skin, she sighed in defeat. This meeting had to happen. She knew that it had to happen, she couldn’t afford to ignore her magic for much longer. For multiple reasons even.

Dumbledore had said that Voldemort wasn’t dead, and even if she distrusted the headmaster immensely in this he was likely being truthful. 

Her magic could also go out of control, though she didn’t think it ever would, not if she had managed to trust her magic even with the Dursley’s systematic attempts to make her afraid of it.

She sighed, the lessons on  obscurials had been a painful mirror of what she could have been. Magic taking on a mind of  its own was uncomfortably familiar. She hadn’t told anyone, but she was a little bit afraid that she might have been on her way towards becoming one. 

Only the buried memories of her time with her parents had likely created faith in magic in her. Enough that her independent magic had still been accepted as part of her and so remained nominally in control instead of completely separate as it was in an obscurial. 

Still, she did have to complete her magical training, and so she needed to overcome her fear of the magical world. If Voldemort ever did manage to come  back he would hunt her to the ends of the earth. If for no other reason than that, she desperately needed training.

Droplets clinging to her eyelashes and body warm and slick, she dried of. Her second shower had helped a little bit against the rising anxiety bubbling away in her stomach. 

A simple black t-shirt, deliberately leaving her scars visible. Simple jeans and twisting her hair up in a bun. She took a deep breath, looked at her own face in the mirror and decided that she was as ready as she was ever going to get.

She descended the stairs for the second time that day, joining  Nanjirou and  Rinko in the living room.  Nanjirou drew her into his side, sheltering her in a warm embrace. “It’ll be okay, bishoujo." He said kindly.

She curled into his side, closing her eyes and trying to keep her panic under control. 

* * *

When the bell rang,  Rinko got up to let in the representative of the Japanese Magical Ministry. A short woman with black hair and grey eyes entered the room. 

She bowed politely. “Good morning, Echizen-chan, I am Kawakami Kizaru." She stated in a low soothing voice.

Hariel bowed back. “Nice to meet you, Kawakami-san." She stated as neutrally as she could.  Nanjirou also bowed politely. “Echizen  Nanjirou ." He stated gruffly. Rinko motioned for the woman to take a seat on one of the chairs, manoeuvring the woman neatly away from Hariel and Nanjirou. 

“Would you like a cup of tea, Kawakami-san?" She asked, claiming her attention and allowing  Hariel a moment to gather herself. The woman nodded. “Thank you, Echizen-san." “Call me Rinko, Kawakami-san, we are all Echizen’s." The woman merely nodded gracefully.

She turned to face  Hariel . “Now, Echizen- chan , the Japanese Magical Society is aware of your fame in Europe. We are also fairly well informed of what happened during your years at Hogwarts, since most of it ended up in the papers." She looked disapproving.

“We consider what happened to you to be gross child endangerment. Your records show multiple hospital visits without explanations, or even decent medical care. There was slander from the papers as well." Kawakami sighed out, as if frustrated just talking about the topic.  Hariel could sympathize.

“You will need a magical education, but honestly, I recommend that you choose home schooling. It would make it easier to keep your presence in Japan under wraps."  Hariel’s eyes widened. This was not at all what she expected. It was good, though it wouldn’t make her trust the brunette witch, but it went a long way in soothing her fear.

“We want to offer you the option of magical witness protection." She scowled. “Dumbledore-san is being very persistent in trying to track you down and it would not surprise me at all if the man resorts to illegal options. He seems obsessed with you. In the International Confederation of  Wizards he tried to claim that your return to Britain was necessary for the wellbeing of his country based on a prophecy. He then refused to produce the prophecy."

She sighed. “To be frank, Echizen- chan , the man disturbed the entire Japanese envoy, so we unanimously decided not to tell him that you are in Japan."  Hariel bowed. “Thank you. So much." Tears appeared in her eyes. “I’ve been so afraid he’d find me. I was afraid that, that  kaa-chan's legal adoption wouldn’t be enough. That he would drag me back to Hogwarts anyway."

Kawakami’s eyes softened. “It’s no problem, it was no more than any morally sound adult should have done. You are being stalked and we feel that as a minor you ought to be protected. Adults would be protected as well but as a minor, we have even more options to hide you. Japanese magicals hold children to be near sacred." She explained kindly.

“I, uh, I want to go to Seigaku." She said softly. She hadn’t even told her adoptive parents yet, but maybe this lady could help her combine her home schooling in magic with her attendance of a mundane school.

Rinko’s eyes lit up. “That’s great, sweetheart. We’ll enrol you." She turned towards the adult witch. “I mean, that is an option right? For Hariel to be home-schooled magically and be enrolled in Seigaku?" Kawakami nodded. “That will actually help in the long run I think. Nobody who has heard of the Girl-Who-Lived would think she’d attend Seishun Gakuen." Kawakami said.

“Are you aware of the option to change your name magically as well?" She asked softly. It was a delicate subject, but the young girl needed every layer of protection possible. “I...no, what would, uhm what would that mean?"  Hariel asked, confused and shy.

“It would make  Hariel Potter disappear  magically, no letters would ever go towards you if addressed that way even if somebody found a way to circumvent the mail wards we put up around your residence." She frowned. “We couldn’t legally contact you before you became a Japanese citizen and as such, without your permission," she nodded to  Hariel’s parents “the wards are illegal. The ministry judged this to be allowed under the circumstances though as part of the magical asylum we along with several other nations, granted you in response to Dumbledore’s claim."

Nanjirou nodded. “We would have granted permission for those wards anyway. Thank you, Kawakami-san, for protecting our daughter in a way we can’t." He stated slowly, bass voice serious as he bowed his head in respect.

“Very well, I’ll make sure to leave the permissions forms with you, so that we can file them." The grey-eyed woman’s eyes softened. “It was no problem, what happened to Echizen-chan was wrong and we are glad to do our part to protect a minor."

Hariel’s eyes were looking a little glossy, because nobody had ever cared just because she was a child, always more legend than person. Nobody had ever flat out stated that what Dumbledore did to her, trying to force her into that tournament, was wrong, not because they loved her or liked her but just because she was a minor.

It might have made her feel normal, in the best possible way.

Kawakami reached into the bag she had brought with her, taking out a stack of papers. “I can see that you are becoming a little overwhelmed, Echizen-chan. I will take my leave. Here are the papers related to home-schooling, warding permissions and options, magical witness protection and the information for the ritual of a magical name change."

Within a few minutes, goodbyes had been said and the woman was gone.

* * *

Nanjirou gathered his shaken daughter up in a gentle hug. He rubbed her back with a large warm hand. “Breathe bishoujo. It’s okay." She sighed, leaning her tired head against his solid shoulder, feeling protected and loved. “Tou-chan... why did nobody in Hogwarts react like her, what was so wrong about me that they couldn’t even treat me like a regular teenager? Why did all the other students hate me?"

The Samurai sighed. “I guess it was a toxic situation which only grew more out of control because your old professors never corrected bad behaviour in the students. It had nothing to do with you, you should have been treated a lot better in general."

He sighed, frustrated and tired.  Hariel was still so damaged by her relatives and her years at Hogwarts. He couldn’t help her. Which was what he wanted to be able to do so badly. Because he didn’t understand it himself. The people around her had gone completely out of control towards her.

Rinko walked back into the room, stepping up to them to hug  Hariel as well. “I think that went well. She was very willing to work with us to keep you safe."

Hariel sighed, tired and out of it. “ Tou-chan , can you bring me to the hospital? I need to tell senpai that I’m going to school soon, so I won’t need a tutor anymore."  Nanjirou nodded. “Sure  bishoujo . Ask  Ryoga to pick you up later, okay? His classes end in a few hours and he’ll practically be going by the hospital anyway." She nodded distractedly.

Nanjirou ruffled her hair softly, pushing her towards the stairs. “Go get your stuff, we’ll go soon." She nodded in a daze.

In her room, she gathered her backpack and several other things before bounding down stairs again. “I’m ready." She said softly.

They were sitting in the front seats of the car when  Nanjirou spoke up again. “When do you want to start at  Seigaku ?"  Hariel hummed, fiddling with her cast. “Next week maybe? If that isn’t too soon. How long will it take to  enrol me?" She asked, semi-timidly. For all the ways she had grown comfortable with him, she still found it hard to ask for things if she thought it would inconvenience them.

“I’ll take care of it,  Hariel . Don’t worry about it. Are you all caught up?" She nodded vaguely. “Japanese literature is still... difficult. Seiichi-senpai said that I was good in the other subjects." She mumbled vaguely, head still spinning with the new options.

Nanjirou drove the rest of the way in silence. Parking the car momentarily before the front entrance, he leaned over to her. Gently he ruffled her loose hair, which was curling in a wavy mess down to her waist. “I’ll see you at dinner, okay  bishoujo ?"  Hariel nodded, then before she could second guess  herself she hugged him. “Bye tou-chan." She said quickly, opening the door and getting out.

She waved shyly as she walked away from the car.  Nanjirou smiled brightly and waved back, before driving away.

* * *

She knocked on Yukimura’s door softly. She had let him know that she wouldn’t be able to come u ntil the afternoon and he had said that was okay but she still felt like she was inconveniencing him.

At his soft “Come on in." She opened the door. The navy-haired boy had company, a boy with messy hair and eyes just a shade of green darker than her own. “Ah, sorry, I can come back tomorrow." She muttered shyly, already turning around.

“Mura- buchou , who is she?" A voice rang out behind her, before she could leave the room entirely. “ Hariel-chan , come here." Yukimura ordered gently. Shyly, looking down she come to a stop besides his bed, opposite the unknown boy in the room.

Yukimura frowned, spotting the deep purple smudges  beneath her eyes. Clearly his friend had not been taking care of herself well, or nightmares had kept her awake again.

Gently taking hold of her wrist, he tugged her down. Pulling her into his side to rest against him, he frowned down at her too wide glassy eyes. “This is Echizen Hariel-chan, Akaya." He stated softly. “Hariel-chan, this is Kirihara Akaya, the only second year on the Rikkaidai team and my kouhai."

The boy frowned. “Are you Mura- buchou's girlfriend?" He asked bluntly, almost accusingly.  Hariel squeaked. “No! I mean, he is very pretty but we wouldn’t fit and he is my tutor and a very good friend." She rambled, flustered and thrown of balance by the boy’s unexpected presence. 

Yukimura who occasionally felt the need to tease people leaned his head on her shoulder, wrapping an arm around her waist tightly. “Are you saying you don’t want me  Hariel ... I’m hurt.  Ryoga -san also thought we were together, maybe it’s a sign, that we should be together."

“S-Senpai..."  Hariel protested, flustered despite herself. Not by his proximity but by his teasing. Yukimura smiled, seeing  Kirihara wide eyes was funny and seeing Hariel flustered was always cute.

“No,  Akaya , to answer seriously,  Hariel-chan is not my girlfriend. We are very close  friends, I’m tutoring her while I’m being treated here." Hariel leaned into his hold, tired and rapidly becoming sleepy because of his warmth seeping into her. With her magic also responding to her longstanding passive wish to help him she was crashing hard.

Blinking sleepily up at  Kirihara , she cocked her head. “Do you want Seiichi-senpai to be your  girlfriend , is that why you sounded jealous? I think he would make a very nice  girlfriend . He’s very caring and gentle, pretty." She murmured vaguely, already half asleep as the lack of sleep that night caught up with her.

Kirihara squawked. “No, I don’t and are you calling Mura- buchou a girl?!"

Yukimura snorted softly, fondly carding a hand through her long hair. “I’ll take it as a compliment, but you do know that  girlfriend is a description for a girl in a  relationship right?" Occasionally  Hariel had a stray thought which was... off. 

Hariel frowned. “ Only technically right? I mean,  girlfriend s are always portrayed as the calm cute type in the media or at least as the one who takes on more caregiver tasks, so I thought it was mostly a description of the more... hmm soft one? Which could be either a boy or a girl? Because relationships can be between all gender combinations and two boyfriends would be confusing?" She asked a little bit confused.

For the most part she had been raised to be invisible and hadn’t had anything explained to her. This wasn’t a problem because she was smart enough to pick up on almost all social norms without guidance but as Yukimura had discovered, in some cases this had resulted in a slightly offbeat grasp on how it all worked. She didn’t seem to really possess any inherent gender bias herself because she hadn’t even really been able to identify as a person.

Now that she was older, she was being confronted with the fact that she was a girl. She hated being tied down, she hated being forced into anything, even a role just because it was expected.

Kirihara was shocked. In shock. He had never thought that anybody would get away with calling  buchou a girl. Even if it was apparently a compliment. Usually when one of his opponents called him a girl he destroyed them. Seeing  Kirihara’s confused look, Yukimura elaborated.

“I’m not angry when people call me a girl because they are  implying I look feminine, I’m angry because they mean it as an insult." He stated gently.  Kirihara nodded numbly.  Apparently this was a day for destroying his preconceived notions. He hadn’t expected the navy-haired teen to act so casually with a girl.

Between one breath and the next,  Hariel had fallen asleep, utterly past her limit. She always felt safe with Yukimura and with her magic coiling around him smoothly, softly supporting him, she had finally fallen asleep.

“Akaya, can you put her bag on the chair over there?" Yukimura asked softly. The messy haired boy nodded, taking the strap of cloth from her lax hand. Yukimura pulled her fully into his lap, where she instinctively curled towards the heat. She leaned against his chest curling up like a cat.

“ Buchou ..." Violet eyes pinned him in place. “Akaya, don’t worry about it.  Genichirou met her too. When I get back to school, you might see more of her. I want to stay friends even when I leave Tokyo."

Gazing out of the window thoughtfully Yukimura hummed. “It is strange, I’ve known her for a few months, but it feels like decades."  Kirihara looked at him weirdly. “Why do you allow her so close Mura- buchou ? And why is she so weird?" He asked curiously. 

The Tennis captain was silent for a while. When  Hariel whined softly low in her throat, he rubbed a calming hand down her back. “I think it is because she doesn’t expect anything. She was just here one day and she doesn’t feel awkward around me because I’m sick, she doesn’t pity me. She didn’t even mind when I lost my temper because of the constant pain."

Kirihara made a frustrated noise. “We never meant to..." Yukimura smiled at him, a soft kind smile. “I know, nobody ever means to pity me, or to look at me differently.” He looked at  Kirihara with intense scrutiny for a moment. “ Akaya ... it is not a failure on your part that you didn’t know how to handle me becoming ill. I didn’t even know.  Hariel-chan just... has a lot of pain in her past and that made her react in a different way than people normally do. It was just something we understood about each other. Pity is the most useless, painful thing you can get under any circumstance.”

Kirihara stared. “Hah?" Yukimura merely nodded. “It might not look like it, but  Hariel is very wise and kind. She hasn’t told me much about her past but I know enough. She went through a lot, but she’s a fighter.”

The younger boy sighed, still a little freaked out by a strange girl suddenly, from his perspective at least, being close to his Captain. “I guess, if you say that she’s strong and kind, that’s good enough for me. Maybe she’ll play a match against me?”

“Why do you assume she plays tennis?” Yukimura asked curiously. “She has the expected callouses.”  Kirihara pointed out. “And if she is like you, then she must be very strong.” 

“Ah, it’s so nice to see that you hold me in such high regard,  Akaya .” Yukimura teased gently. The  Rikkai Dai team were all fond of the baby of their team.

The messy haired boy left a little while later, intrigued by the mysterious girl who had become so close to Yukimura so fast.

* * *

“Hello? This is Echizen  Hariel’s phone.” Yukimura answered the ringing mobile, stroking Hariel’s hair to keep her under when she stirred from the noise.

“Yukimura? Why isn’t  chibi-chan answering her phone?” A fairly low voice asked suspiciously. “I’m afraid I wore her out.” Yukimura stated innocently. 

“What are you doing to my baby sister?!” A wicked gleam was apparent in sharp violet eyes. “Hm, I wonder...”

“I’m going to pick her up from your hospital room in half an hour, don’t do anything else!” Click. He had hung up, apparently intent on hurrying over now.

Yukimura merely smiled, so naïve. Was the oldest Echizen really in university already?

“Seiichi...” She yawned delicately. “S-Senpai.” Blinking her way towards being fully awake, she  smushed her cheek more firmly against Yukimura’s warm chest. “Don’t tease  niisan . He’ll rant and whine to me.”

“I can’t help  it, he makes it very easy.” The navy-haired boy said softly. He brushed his thumb softly over the still near black smudges under her hazy eyes. “What happened?”

“I decided to enrol in  Seigaku .” The emerald-eyed girl said, ignoring the magical part of the day. “ It.. Brought up a lot of old memories I would have liked to forget.” Yukimura hummed in understanding. “My surgery will be soon, after that I will only have another week here and then I can begin to recover. I’ll still have a lot of checkups.”

Hariel wound her arms around his waist, closing her eyes to try and ignore the implications. “I’ll miss... seeing you every day.” She muttered thickly. Yukimura pressed a soft kiss to her wild hair. “I’ll miss you too, but you are more than ready. I’ll come and see you whenever I have a  checkup okay? We can mail, and call.”

Yukimura felt hot tears soaking silently into his  pyjama top. “You better.” She said almost resentfully. She hated letting go of people she was genuinely attached to. She knew he wasn’t abandoning her, but she didn’t want to drift away from him. In only a few months he had become one of the most important people in her life.

“I’ll miss napping with you.” Yukimura said fondly. “I’ve never been as comfortable with someone in my personal space.”  Hariel swallowed against the tears. “Me either.”

“It’s not the end of the world,  Hariel -chan. You can make more friends, meet more senpai who will help you. It’ll be fun, going to school.”

She frowned. “I miss Ryoma-nii, I feel like I’m drifting away from him, and I want to meet his teammates.” She paused before adding. “Friends really. Because he never really had friends other than me, they must be nice people. I just... I hate crowds, and school still scares me and I don’t want to drift away from you either.”

Yukimura pulled her closer, into a tight hug. “You won’t. I won’t let you.” He smiled, a washed out far cry from his usual smile. “You know I can be stubborn, and I know you can be relentless as well. We’ll be fine. Not seeing me every day doesn’t mean we’ll be losing our friendship Hariel.”

She sighed, roughly trying to wipe away her tears. A gentle grip on her wrist stopped her, as kind violet eyes met hers, and tender fingers  swept away the last of the teardrops clinging to her lashes.

A knock echoed through the room. “Come on in.” Yukimura stated calmly, trying to compose himself.  Ryoga entered the room, stopping short when he spotted tear tracks on his sister’s face. “What happened?” He asked softly, coming over to lean over Yukimura’s hospital bed to hug her around the shoulder gently.

“N-Nothing,  niisan .”  Hariel murmured, leaning against his tall protective form.  Ryoga carded a gentle hand through her hair. “Don’t lie,  chibi -chan.” He admonished seriously. Yukimura held her hand in a soft grip. “We are just... having some separation anxiety. We’ve been each other's main company for months I think. It’s hard not to get a little entwined.”

Hariel , still off balance from the fast changes happening and Kawakami’s visit and the crying jag she just experienced, sagged against  Ryoga’s solid frame. “I just... don’t want Seiichi-senpai to go away. I want to see him and nap together and talk about everything.” Watery eyes stared up into worried gold. “I’m really going to miss Senpai when he goes home.”

“I’ll bring you to him every weekend if you want to go, so don’t cry okay.”  Ryoga softly used his shirt sleeve to dry the new tears away softly. “I’ll visit Tokyo as well, for my doctor’s appointments and then I’ll come see you to.” Yukimura reassured her again.

Hariel held up her arms like a grumpy child, tired and teary eyed still.  Ryoga smiled at her, easily plucking her up from the bed. “I think your day has been too long, chibi-chan. I’ll take you home now.” She frowned. “No, I want to see Ryoma-nii. I never see him anymore.” Her tears were starting to track down her face again.

Yukimura squeezed her hand softly. “Go to sleep,  Hariel . I’ll see you tomorrow okay?” She nodded, exhausted head dropping onto  Ryoga’s shoulder. The brunet gathered  Hariel’s backpack from the chair and walked towards the door. “Yukimura... thanks. For not making fun of her, for caring.” The navy-haired boy merely nodded. “She cares for me too, when my illness is too much.”  Ryoga nodded and left.

He bundled  Hariel safely onto the back of his bike, tugging a helmet over her groggy face. Making sure that she was clinging to him, he drove away.

* * *

Hariel was woken up by the absence of the soothing rumble of  Ryoga’s motor. They were parked across the street from Seigaku’s entrance. “I’ll take your bag along, so just go find  chibisuke , okay? I’ll see you at home.” The golden eyed young man stated kindly.

Hariel nodded, still somewhat dead eyed. She almost drifted towards the tennis courts. Not truly aware of her surroundings.

When she arrived, she saw that she had just missed Ryoma, he was walking away from the courts with Momoshiro. They were arguing and missed her completely.

Abruptly deprived of her goal, which had been the only thing keeping her going, she sank to the ground, leaning back against the tree she had been standing under.

Her eyes were already sliding shut when soft footsteps approached. “Hariel-chan...” A soft voice murmured, as a gentle hand brushed her bangs away from her face.

“S-Syusuke-san.” She whispered, and then to her horror, the tears came again. She harshly tried to wipe them away, mortified. “I’m so sorry. I’ll just, I’ll just go.” She said, shifting to get up.

Kind blue eyes met her eerie dead green orbs. He held out his hand, and then when he had pulled her up, he didn’t let go. He guided her wordlessly towards the regular’s locker room, which was already deserted.

Closing the door behind him, he sat down and pulled the silently crying girl into his lap. He didn’t say anything, didn’t even ask. He just softly rubbed her back, sheltering her in a warm hug.

Touched by his thoughtful kindness, she buried her face into his shoulder, hot tears tracking down his pale skin.

It took her a long time to calm down, and all that time, he just softly carded his hand through her hair, rubbing her back soothingly.

When the tears finally stopped, she leaned her aching head against his warm skin and tried to just breath for a while. Then, finally she lifted her head, biting her lip at the worried look in his cerulean eyes.

“I’m so sorry.” She whispered. “I was looking for  Ryoma , but he was already leaving and I just...”

Setting warm hands on her hips he smiled at her. A real smile, soft and kind and nothing like the calm visage he usually presented. His eyes were open and focused on her and though his usual smile wasn’t a lie, compared to this one it lacked substance.

“Hey it’s okay. I’m not going to judge you Hariel-chan.” He said kindly. “Besides when else would I get a chance to hug a beautiful girl.” He teased her softly. The kind smile making it clear that he didn’t mean anything bad by it...

Hariel flushed, cheeks turning bright red. “S-Syusuke-san...” Subconsciously she clenched her hands into his shirt. “Thank you.” She eventually said shyly, looking away awkwardly. Fuji thought she was adorable. More than that... she was interesting. She seemed to be a lot like glass, incredibly sharp and she could take immense heat and bend, and yet the wrong move could and possibly did shatter her.

“You don’t have to tell me, but what happened?” He asked lightly.  Hariel bit her lip, drawing his attention to her pink lips. He nearly groaned, now that she wasn’t upset anymore, she was a tempting sight. With wide emerald eyes, pink lips and soft curves, sitting in his lap and so warm under his hands. 

“I’m going to Seigaku.” She said abruptly. “I just decided, but it’s hard. I really don’t like crowds, and I am worried that I’ll drift away from Seiichi-senpai. He’s... I’m really close to him and I’ll miss seeing him every day.”

Fuji tried not to be jealous. She had already said that it was a platonic relationship from both sides after all.

“That can be very hard to adjust to.” Fuji said thoughtfully. He looked at the deep purple smudges under her eyes. “You didn’t sleep well either?” He asked kindly. She nodded vaguely. “It must have been very overwhelming then.” Fuji stated smoothly.

She bit her lip again, glancing at him nervously. “You don’t think I overreacted?” He shook his head. “No. I barely know you, and still I know enough to know this for sure.  Hariel -chan... deciding to confront your fears like you are doing right now is a very difficult thing. You should be proud of yourself.”

“Mhm.” She hummed, not sure what to say. They sat in silence for a while, calming and soothing to her frayed nerves.

Slowly he stood up, bringing her along and gently setting her to her feet. “I’ll take you home.” Fuji stated, more of an order than a request. Normally  Hariel would protest, but with him she only felt safe. Magic, her magic, which she was only now paying attention to, was swirling around him in smooth coiling motions. Heating up inside of her and clinging to him like a cloak almost. Her eyes widened in surprise. Her magic had taken a liking to  Ryoma and Seiichi-senpai and even Kaoru-kun, but nothing like this.

If those bonds were intense, then this seemed almost... indecent. It was like he was wading in her magic. Hot layers of the dense power shifting and pooling over his skin. She blushed, she didn’t even mean for that to happen.

He kneeled in front of her carefully, glancing up at her bright red face and carefully not grinning at her pretty red flush. “Come on.” He stated. Before she even realised it, she was doing what he had... asked? Ordered? She knew she could say no, but she didn’t want to.

Hariel’s slender legs encircled his waist, Fuji’s warm hands supporting her under her thighs. She wrapped her arms around his shoulder, discretely inhaling his scent. Rain and spice, hot and yet soothing. A contradiction. She let go of the tension and gracelessly curled against him, warm breath skating over the sensitive skin of his neck.

He walked out of the door, carefully closing the door behind him. He made his way of the schoolgrounds, thankful that they were deserted. She really didn’t need gawking strangers.

He nearly groaned as he felt her legs tighten momentarily around his waist. She was... was she pressing her lips to his skin? He nearly blushed, he was fairly certain that she had no idea what she was doing, but that didn’t really lessen the impact.

Trailing a soft finger over her thigh, he left a trail of heat even through her jeans. He could feel her inhale unsteadily and knew he was affecting her. “Ne, Syusuke-san, will you... will you come and look at the garden?” She was murmuring her question with her lips still a hot brand on his skin. He was fairly sure that she was just pressing her face against his neck in an unconscious need for reassuring skin contact, but it was unfairly distracting.

“I really liked spending time with you there.” She confessed shyly. Fuji was glad that she felt safe enough to do that. He wasn’t sure why or how his... obsession with her had grown so strong but it was reassuring to know that she seemed to be similarly pulled towards him as well.

“Of course. I’d never refuse spending time with you.” He stated, sincerely, pressing a soft kiss to the delicate skin of her inner wrist. So sue him, she was oblivious enough, and maybe sadly, damaged enough, that aggressively flirting with her was likely only going to fluster her instead of enlightening her to his... desires.

He could feel her lips curling up in a smile. 

* * *

Hariel felt calm, reassured and... wanted? Because of the gentle grasp on her legs holding her up. He was strong, stronger than his delicate appearance would lead people to believe. She could feel his heart beat.

He hummed and she could feel the vibration rumbling through her soothingly. It was... safe, to be this close to him. Her magic wasn’t so much influencing her as it was drawing her attention to what was already happening. 

It highlighted the safe feeling she got from his sharp presence. It whispered in her mind of an immense intellect and a certain loneliness which she understood. At their core, they were alike in a way which was so hard for most to understand.

Her by her fame, him by his gifts, set apart from others before they even knew why.

Fuji walked, the silence between them comfortable for all that they still didn’t know each other that long. 

Wistfully she stared at two girls giggling together, walking by arm in arm. They were clearly close friends. “Sometimes I wish I had that as well.” Fuji hummed questioningly. “I only have one female friend and she isn’t the type to care about make-up or boys.” Hariel sighed. “Not that I am either, but I would have liked to experience it at least once, going shopping and buying cute things together.” 

She blinked, her eyelashes fluttering over his skin softly. “It always looks different from when a boy and a girl walk around together, even if they aren’t dating. I wonder why...” “If males giggle or like cute things they are made fun of. Even if they don’t mind going with a girl they pretend to mind, because it is expected." Fuji said softly.

Hariel frowned. “Stupid, if you liked pink dresses, I’d still think you were cool.” Fuji smiled at her honest confession. “That’s good, Hariel-chan.” Her eyebrows rose. “Why? Doesn’t that just make me weird, it’s like everybody has a set opinion on how things should be except me.”

Fuji turned his head towards her, their faces close enough for her to see the darker blue rings around his pupils. “Pretty...” She whispered subconsciously. “Thank you, you are very pretty too.” He answered teasingly. 

Then he turned serious. “I think it is beautiful that you just want people to be accepted Hariel-chan. I am mistaken for a girl, often and I don’t mind. Being female isn’t inherently better or worse than being male. We all have feelings, likes and dislikes. Most people desperately want to fit in though.”

“Why is being a girl an insult with people our age?” Hariel asked. She had some theories, but he seemed willing to explain the complex social rules and she was really curious.

“Because stupid teenage males believe that they are stronger and better than females. It is a stupid, outdated disrespectful belief but despite falling out of favour officially it is still an opinion held by many.”

“So just because males are typically, not even always, physically stronger they are better?” Fuji nodded. “Essentially. They ignore that females can take more punishment, can handle more pain, that they are usually better with emotions and many other things.”

He shrugged loosely. “I don’t believe it at all. Male or female, it doesn’t matter to me.” Blue eyes burned brightly. “My oneesan is amazing and nobody will ever convince me that she is lesser for being female.” Hariel smiled, his obvious respect and love for his older sister was endearing.

They fell silent again,  Hariel mulling over the semi-new revelations and Fuji wondering how someone could just miss the complexities of genders somehow. She wasn’t stupid.

“You can let me down now.” She said calmly, as they reached the temple stairs. Fuji slowly loosened his grasp on her thighs, allowing her to slide down to the ground.  Hariel forced herself to let go, it was silly to cling.

Before she even really noticed him move, he had already claimed her hand. “Lead the way.” He said calmly. She nodded numbly, guiding him to through the door. 

She guided him to the living room, intent on offering something to drink. It was already occupied though. Both her mother and her oldest brother were already home. “Ah, Fuji- kun , hello.”  Rinko stated kindly. “Where is  Ryoma ,  chibi-chan ?”  Ryoga spoke up, concerned.  Hariel bit her lip delicately. Fuji pressed a warm hand to the small of her back in support. “Echizen went with  Momoshiro , they just missed each other.” His soft voice explained.

Ryoga’s eyes widened, he had only left his upset  chibi because he was sure  Ryoma would take care of her. “Are you okay?” He asked, concerned but trying not to show it too much. Hariel, for all that she blossomed under care was extremely independent.

She nodded shyly, quota for words mostly used up for the day. “Do you want something to drink, Fuji-kun, Hariel?”  Rinko asked politely. “ I.. Uh.... water?”  Hariel answered unsurely. She usually just did everything herself, and having people fetch things for her was still foreign to her.

“Water is fine for me as well,  Rinko -san.” Fuji spoke up softly. Without thinking it over,  Hariel tugged Fuji to the couch. She sat down and Fuji followed easily. She let go of his hand, murmuring a quiet apology. Fuji brushed a  lock away from her forehead. “If I minded, I could have pulled away.  Hariel -chan...” He looked at her seriously. “I will let you know if you ever do something I don’t appreciate.”

Hariel smiled, she found that reassuring. 

Ryoga observed the two with interest. He had seen  Hariel with Yukimura, but with nobody else. She was a loner for all that she thrived on being with people. This  tensai kid though... he seemed to be growing closer to  Hariel almost alarmingly fast. It might have truly been alarming if he hadn’t seen the soft smile on Hariel’s face.

“ So Fuji, you decided to bring our  chibi home?” He asked curiously. The  tensai nodded. “I wanted to see the rest of garden and had nothing else to do this afternoon.” He said serenely.

Hariel spoke up. “After we drink something we can go to the garden. I wouldn’t want to keep you for long after you so kindly walked me home.” Her voice was soft and timid. She was tired but somehow she didn’t want him to leave...

Ryoga’s eyebrows rose.  Hariel clearly wanted the kid here, even though she wasn’t feeling well. Much like a wounded predator she didn’t usually let people close when she wasn’t feeling well. So what made this kid the exception to that rule?

Rinko brought them the requested water, handing  Ryoga an orange while holding a cup of tea for herself. “Fuji-kun, will you help my  Hariel adjust to school? She’ll need kind senpai to show her around so late in the year." The honey-haired teenager smiled  softly, eyes curved shut as usual. “Of course,  Rinko -san. I already told  Hariel-chan that I’d... ensure that nothing happens to her. I won’t let anyone bully her.” He told her delicately, heated too sharp blue eyes appearing for a split second.

Ryoga and  Rinko nearly flinched back, for a teenager he was for a single second... dangerous.  Hariel had the opposite reaction, shivering mildly in pleasure that someone would defend her so fiercely.

“T-Thank you, Fuji- kun .”  Rinko said, off balance. The  tensai smiled serenely. “Of course, it is no trouble.”

Ryoga breathed out slowly. “Yeah, thanks Fuji.” He added calmly, no need to show the brat that he was intimidating.

“Let’s go,  Syusuke -san.”  Hariel spoke up cheerfully, excited at the idea of showing him her roses. They hadn’t gotten around to it last time.

“Ah Fuji- kun , you are welcome to stay for dinner.”  Rinko said. The teenager nodded in acceptance, before following Hariel out of the room.

* * *

Casually rolling up his sleeves he offered Hariel his arm. Her hand settling softly on the bare skin the warm contact soothing. 

Proudly  Hariel declared. “These are my roses. They’ve grown beautifully over the last few months.” Fuji looked at the flowers with interest. They seemed... larger, more vibrant then normal roses. 

He leaned down, delicately inhaling as he brushed a finger over the soft petal. “This scent...”  Hariel’s eyes widened. She knew the roses held the scent of her magic, but she hadn’t considered someone might pick up on the difference. In fact, nobody should be able to tell without magic.

“It’s incredibly attractive. Thunder, ash and rain.”  Hariel blushed, he could... he could smell her magic. He looked at her curiously. “These roses carry... your scent.” He told her softly.

“R-Really?” She stuttered. He wound a strong arm around her waist, drawing her closer. Leaning over to softly press his nose into the junction of her neck he inhaled deliberately.

Hariel stood still, flushed and feeling strangely hot.

“ Mhh , yes. You do smell like your beautiful roses.” He whispered into her soft  skin, lips pressed delicately against her pale neck still.

Hariel nearly moaned, he felt good, so close. 

“S-Syusuke-san...” He hummed softly, the vibration sinking into her. “What is it?” He asked wickedly, well aware of the effect he was having on her.

He pulled back a little bit, watching the pink blush on her cheeks... down her neck... He drew a line down from her collarbones between her breasts to her stomach. “I wonder how far down you blush.”

She shuddered slightly under his touch. Aware that he couldn’t push too far too fast he reluctantly pulled back a little bit. Her slender frame had felt so good against him.

Winding a slender strong hand into her hair he pressed a soft kiss to the top of her head. “You have grown wonderful roses. Will you show me the rest of your garden?” He asked gently.

Hariel, cheeks still blazing and magic searing hot and drawn tight enough around him that she felt almost melded to his side nodded in a daze.

“Y-Yes of course." Fuji smiled down at  her, eyes open as they always were with her. His arm settled naturally around her waist, the contact hot and obvious as he slipped his fingers under her t-shirt, drawing blazing lines on her skin as he absently stroked her hipbone.

Hariel had a hard time concentrating on showing him the rest of the garden, Fuji smiling down at her serenely as if he had no idea what he was doing to her.

The  tensai in question did know exactly what he was doing and nearly groaned at the way she bit her lip and the seemingly permanent pink blush on her face. He had seen her swallowing down noise and was pleased that she was... affected by his proximity.

Ending up back at the porch Fuji sat down and drew the fascinating stunning creature down with him. Into his lap.

Hariel hid her burning red face against his neck, but didn’t protest at all. Fascinated by the way her magic turned burning hot and the feelings he evoked in her, even if it was a lot to handle and made her feel a little bit intimidated.

Warm hands squeezed her hips. “Say Hariel-chan, would you like to go shopping for new clothes sometime?” He asked curiously, mind still caught on her wistful comment.

Hariel hummed in confusion, barely following what he was saying, attention caught on the strong body beneath her and his maddening scent of rain and spice.

“I don’t know any girls in Japan, and I don’t have a boyfriend so no...” She answered absently, unaware of the scheming look in the tensai’s eyes.

“Saa...”  Hariel clamped her knees around his hips, speaking up without lifting her face, resulting in hot breath skating over his skin as her lips moved against his neck.

Reflexively he grasped her hips tighter at the feeling. “ Syusuke -san... why did you pull me into your lap?” She asked shyly.

“It feels natural, safe, to have you close by feels like comfort.” He stated without shame.  Hariel’s brain stopped. Safe? As in she made him feel safe? “Oh... I feel safe with you too.” She returned softly, presuming he meant nothing by it. Nobody was ever interested in the freak after all and at Hogwarts no boy or girl had ever been interested in her.  Hariel , dense as a brick, had remained blissfully unaware of the increasing interest in her as she had grown older.

Fuji nearly groaned, he could just tell that she had thought he didn’t mean anything by it. He did wonder why she seemed to be under the impression that this was normal between friends.

“Hariel-chan... will you be okay?” He asked seriously, looking into her poison green eyes with heated cerulean blue.

She turned bright red and seemed speechless for a moment. “I.. I.. yes.” She stuttered eventually. Fuji, pleased and relieved, tilted her head by winding a pale hand into her long hair and leaned towards her.

Rinko called them for dinner, breaking the spell.  Hariel scrambled off him, bright red. Fuji merely followed her smiling at her embarrassed retreat. Sharp blue eyes appeared for a second. More and more interesting, there was no way he was letting her get away.

* * *

Hariel blushed and stuttered her way through dinner, still completely caught in the memory of his face so close, his hot touch on her skin...

Rinko smiled at the sight,  Nanjirou frowned at the smiling menace seated next to her and  Ryoma wondered what was going on.

“Fuji... did you do something?”  Ryoga asked suspiciously. His sister wasn’t the type to act like an airhead.

The tennis player merely tilted his head to the side, enhancing his cuteness which often had him mistaken for a girl on purpose. “Me?" He asked casually.

Rinko cooed. “So cute,  Ryoga ,  Ryoma , when are you getting girlfriends, or boyfriends?” She demanded. She wanted more cute scenes.  Hariel blushed fiery red at the insinuation that Fuji was her boyfriend. Ryoga looked away not willing to own up to the fact that he had been on a few dates.

Ryoma turned red. “Mom!” He said, appalled. “Oh, are you into someone,  seishonen ?”  Nanjirou asked teasingly. “I don’t think a shy girl would fit you very well... ne  Ryoma-nii do you even like soft people?” Hariel asked bluntly.

The cat-eyed boy sank lower into his seat as all the eyes turned to him, blue eyes gleaming at him amused with his predicament. “I don’t know.” He muttered rebelliously.

“Maybe you should get a boyfriend.”  Hariel continued obliviously. “I don’t think a soft soothing boy or girl would suit you.”

Rinko and  Nanjirou’s eyebrows rose. Fuji, already somewhat familiar with  Hariel’s skewed thought process on genders smiled. She created chaos naturally and it was so funny to watch.

Ryoga who had heard about the entire gender debate from Yukimura groaned. “Chibi-chan, I know you consider girlfriend and boyfriend to be roles which can be filled by both genders, but you’re confusing Ryoma.”

Hariel frowned. “Oh... sorry.” She turned back to her plate, pretending to be engrossed in her food. Fuji, never one to let such a golden opportunity go spoke up. “Maybe Echizen would make a good girlfriend. He’d be all cutely embarrassed, trying to hide that he cares with his scowls but still taking such good care of his significant other.”

Hariel looked at him in delight. “Exactly,  Ryoma would be the girlfriend, so he can’t get a girlfriend. It wouldn’t work well.”  Ryoma watched on in horror. Fuji-senpai and  Hariel together made a weird kind of contagious sense. Worse... he could understand where she was coming from but the  tensai was just skewed in the head all on his own. How had she found someone who matched her so well in all the worst ways.

Hariel was already well aware of how these things were supposed to work. She had spoken about it at length with Yukimura who had explained why  Kirihara had been so weirded out by her comment. She was still Sirius’s fawn though and this pranking  opportunity was just too good. She was also protesting gender roles in her own way. 

She didn’t believe in restricting things for people just because of their gender.  Ryoga , spotting the teasing glimmer in her eyes suddenly pointed at her, halfway through  Nanjirou’s and  Rinko’s miniature lesson. “You! You already know, you are just fucking with us now.”

Fuji smiled angelically. “It’s an interesting point of view though, don’t change Hariel-chan.”

She smiled. “Okay.” She said happily and went back to her dessert as the rest of the family stared in disbelief. She hadn’t pulled a prank yet since she came over, but from her tales about Sirius they should have expected it sooner or later. They called each other very often and his influence was beginning to show.

* * *

Hariel followed Fuji down the hallway to say goodbye. She closed the front door behind her, looking up at him shyly. She genuinely hoped that he really did like spending time with her...

“Syusuke-san thank you for coming over today.” The tensai smiled serenely, stepping closer to the petite teenager who had captured his attention. 

He brushed a lock of hair away from her face, leaning over to hug her, wrapping his arms around her waist.  Hariel , pressed up against the strong tennis player blushed bright red, then hesitantly wrapped her arms around his shoulders. She laid her head against his shoulder, soaking in the comfort and the happy flutters in her tummy caused by him.

Fuji smirked, satisfied by her willing proximity. “ Hariel -chan... can I have your phone number?” He asked, mouth hovering close to her ear, warm breath skating over the shell, eliciting a small shudder. 

Hariel hummed. “Mmh? My number, okay.” She said, a little dazed by the heat of her magic and his body so close.

“You never gave me an answer, will you model for me sometime?”  Hariel turned bright red, she knew him well enough by now to realize he was completely serious.

She nodded shyly. “Okay.” Sharp cerulean brightened at her answer. “Thank you.”

Fuji left, her phone number added to his contact list.

* * *

‘You like him,  Hariel . He sounds interesting.’ The neat almost print-like black script marched over the page. Hermione was smiling slightly, glad that  Hariel had found someone she liked. She’d never noticed that some wizards had been interested in her, dense as she was. Probably for the best though, they had all wanted Hariel, Girl-Who-Lived.

“It’s good,  Hariel will smile more." Came Luna’s singsong commentary. ‘Will you draw us a portrait? He sounds... pretty.’ Came the looping letters in sparkly purple, Luna always wrote in purple ink, which  Hariel privately thought suited the seer perfectly.

Face bright red, she started drawing, she’d obsessed long enough that she could draw Fuji from memory, easily.

‘Fuji  Syusuke would make a beautiful girl as well.' Purple swirls, then in neat black print. ‘He sounds smart, and mature, I would like to get to know him...’

Hariel smiled, that was Hermione, as  always the intellectual rated higher  than the visual.

The discussion over schooling was ignored in favour of boy-talk. Or rather, Fuji-talk.  Hariel was glad, it was a far more pleasant topic to pursue for her, even if her cheeks almost permanently glowed.

* * *

She called Sirius on the mirror. Kind grey eyes looked at her from the shimmering surface. “Hello fawn. How did the meeting with the Japanese magical representative go?”

She sighed. “It was okay. They are firmly against Dumbledore. They ok-ed magical home schooling for me.” She frowned. “I want to go to Seigaku, and now tou-chan is enrolling me, but I’m still... not that good with crowds.” She muttered, embarrassed by her weakness.

“It also means I won’t get to see Seiichi-senpai much anymore.” Sirius frowned, seeing his baby girl upset was never easy. “I’m sure you’ll stay good friends fawn.” She hummed. “My magic likes him, that just... makes me miss him more.” She murmured.

Sirius looked at her, startled. “What do you mean, your magic likes him?” “It clings to him. Spirals around him. It tugged me to him.” She answered shortly, afraid she was doing something wrong. Luna had said it was  magicks gift to her, but then why did Sirius sound upset?

“Fawn... does your magic usually do things  independently from you?” She bit her lip, nodding hesitantly. Sirius paled rapidly. “Did... did you ever have blackouts?” He asked, in a strangled voice. She immediately shook her head. “No. I never lost complete control of my magic. Sirius... I’m not an  obscurial .” She tried to reassure him.

Sirius was still highly upset though. “But you could have been and almost were.” He stated, in a tiny voice.

She nodded. “I... yeah.” She admitted uneasily, afraid that he would think her a monster. “Oh fawn, I’m not mad at you. I’m just upset at the Dursley’s and Dumbledore. You never should have been left with them. Lily specifically put it in her will.”

Hariel blinked, she hadn’t known that. “I... why does my magic like some people? It’s not just friends or family. I love  Ryoga-nii just as much as Ryoma, but my magic never tugs towards him.” She asked, confused.

Sirius frowned thoughtfully. “Sometimes... we meet people who are almost destined to be in our lives. It’s not a guarantee, not forced, not fate. It’s... an option, a sign.” He stated softly, grey eyes far away.

“James was my brother, even in magic. That didn’t mean that I loved Regulus any less. But magic just, bonded us naturally.” She inhaled sharply. She couldn’t even imagine losing Ryoma. It hurt too much.

Grey eyes softened, looking at her clearly again. “Magical bonds are a mysterious subject, and most wixen never have one formed naturally.”

“I... can it... alter behaviour?” She asked, a little afraid she had accidentally usurped free will from her precious people. Sirius immediately shook his head. “No. It allows you an instinctive deeper insight which usually leads to almost immediate trust, but the bonds never influence your free will. They can be avoided or broken even. It’s not like they make you do anything fawn. They are a gift from magic.”

She exhaled, relieved. “What about when my magic doesn’t just go towards someone, but also... ah, heats up?” She asked, her face flaming red.

Sirius smirked. “Did you meet a special young man or woman perhaps fawn?” He asked, delighted. Hariel deserved all the love and luck in the world.

She nodded. “I... maybe? I really like him..." She whispered shyly. Sirius hummed. “Lily once described her bond with James, a rare natural one, to be like liquid heat.”

Hariel brightened. “Mom had a bond with dad?” The wizard nodded. “They were some of the rare  magicals who had a natural love bond. It existed from the moment they met, but Lily resisted fiercely because James was, in her words, an arrogant  toerag .” 

He smirked. “ So you see, nothing has to happen because of the bond.”  Hariel smiled, relieved.

“Can I tell them? None of them are magical.” She asked, unsure if there were rules surrounding magic and bonds. Sirius nodded thoughtfully. “Well, bonds are near sacred to  magicals , so you can absolutely tell anyone you are bonded to.”

His eyes widened. “How many people are you even bonded too?” Hariel blinked at him, not sure why he was surprised by this. “Uhm, first Ryoma when I was very young but he already knows about magic. Then Seiichi-senpai when I first arrived in Japan. I met him when kaa-chan made me get treatment for my wrist.”

She cocked her head cutely, ignoring the steadily growing shock in the grey eyes of her godfather. “Then Kaoru-kun, we always run together in the mornings, he’s very grumpy and introverted but we just understand each other. Then Syusuke-san.” Her cheeks grew hot. “My magic heats up around him.”

“That’s... maybe the highest number of naturally  occurring bonds every recorded.” The Black wizard stated in quiet shock.

Hariel groaned. “No, nope, I am not special. No way. It must just not be well recorded.” Sirius nearly giggled. “Maybe.” He didn’t think so. “That’s a lot. Are all of the bonds the same?” She shook her head. “No. Not really.” 

“Ah well. Yes you can tell them. If they are bonded to you they should subconsciously already be aware of magic because it has been touching them all along. It shouldn’t be hard to convince them.”

She sighed. “I don’t know if I even want to tell them. I should, it involves them as well. I just... what if they react like aunt Petunia?” She asked, horrified at the idea.

Sirius longed to smooth a hand over her soft hair, to sooth the fear. “They won’t. Have faith, magic would never bond you to someone who hated magic.”

She nodded tearfully. “I really hope so.” She was flagging, the day already too long and too eventful.

“Go to sleep fawn, I can see the dark circles under your eyes from here.” The Black Lord said softly.

She nodded sleepily and said goodnight, curling up under the covers.


	8. Photographs

The next  morning she jogged to the bridge. “Good morning.” She said quietly, once she had spotted  Kaidoh already working on his exercises. A tall Seigaku student was accompanying him. “Hariel-chan... this is Inui-senpai.” The new brunet spoke up. “Good morning. I’m Inui Sadaharu. Kaidoh said that you usually practice with him and that you are joining  Seigaku soon?”

She nodded, a little overwhelmed. “Ii data.” The glasses he had on glinted eerily as he scribbled in his notebook.

“Uhm, I’m Echizen Hariel. It’s nice to meet you Inui-san.” She stated shyly. Meeting new people wasn’t her forte.

“Are you related to Echizen  Ryoma ?” He asked, pen poised to write down her answer.  Hariel could feel her eyebrows rising higher in disbelief. “My adopted older brother.” She stated.

Kaidoh sighed. Inui was weirding her out. “Senpai.” He spoke up curtly. “Don’t alarm Hariel-chan.”

The data tennis player sighed, putting away the notebook. “Well, why did you want us to meet?” Exactly like  Kaidoh , his social skills were not... really great. 

The second year regular glanced away shyly. “I wanted to make sure that she knows a few people, so that it wouldn’t be as hard to come to school.” He said gruffly.

Hariel bounded up to him, spontaneously hugging the grumpy boy. “Thank you.” She said brightly. “Ah. You are worried that she will not fit in?” Inui asked stoically. Kaidoh shook his head. “No, with Echizen and now you and me, she will have people to talk to already. I just wanted to make her transition from home schooling easier.”

“I can provide data on the school.” Inui stated. Coming from him it was a kind offer.  Hariel , seeming to recognize this, shyly nodded in thanks. “Will you be joining any clubs?” The tall third-year asked. “Tennis.”  Hariel mumbled.

Inui nodded, that made sense. “I do not know much about the girl’s tennis club. The club has eight regulars as well. The club is not performing at a very high level. It hasn’t reached more than the regionals in a long time.”

Hariel listened with interest as Inui told her about the school, the teachers and possible first year classes.

The three teenagers jogged back towards the temple slowly, more interested in conversation then in running today.

Hariel bowed and thanked Inui for his explanation and then waved at Kaidoh.

* * *

The raven-haired girl was pacing in front of Yukimura’s hospital room in agitation. She had to tell him. Her magic was likely affecting him if they really had been bonded by magic. He had the right to know. She was just... terrified.

Taking a deep breath, nails cutting into her palm she finally asked for permission to enter. With dread and a sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach she opened the door.

“Hariel-chan...” The bedbound boy said calmly. Unable to handle the stress, she dropped her bag and crawled onto the bed.

Yukimura frowned as she wrapped herself around him like a particularly cuddly octopus.  Un-braiding her hair gently, dragging his fingers through the long strands soothingly he waited.

Hariel wasn’t a dramatic person by nature, but she was reticent. It was always better to let her gather herself, trying to force her into talking just made her clam up.

“I... need to tell you something.” She eventually mumbled into his stomach. Fear skittering up her spine, she sat up straight, creating some distance between them. The violet-eyed boy looked on in worry.

“I... I’m a witch.” She finally spat out. She was terrified and couldn’t hold his gaze. She couldn’t bare it if she saw him look at her with hate.

Yukimura gently lifted her chin with two fingers. “Hariel-chan... I suspected as much.” Her eyes widened in horror. Was he a wizard? Had this all been a setup?

He frowned. “I don’t know what you are thinking, but my  imouto is a  muggleborn .” He shrugged. “You draw runes on my skin sometimes, and there  are runes on the plant you gave me.”

He smiled at her, pressing a loving kiss to her forehead. “It doesn’t matter. Though, why did you tell me? Isn’t it forbidden to tell a non- magical about the magical world?”

She sighed out in relief. She had been  terrified for a second, that he had known, that he was a wizard and using her like Ron had. It was stupid because Yukimura was nothing like him and she knew that but fear was rarely rational.

She sagged back against him in sheer relief. Yukimura smiled, curling around her trembling frame. “Shh,  Hariel -chan. It’s okay.”

“I told you because...” This was awkward. “We might have a bond, in fact, we probably are magically bonded.” The navy-haired boy was speechless for a moment. “But we’re not in love.” He blurted out.

Now it was  Hariel who was smiling. “It’s not a romantic soulmate bond Seiichi-senpai.” She giggled. Then she turned bright red. “Though, uhm, I might have one of those too.” He smiled like a shark. “Oh, are things going well with Fuji then?” 

“S-Senpai.” She quickly tried to bring the topic back to them. “Our bond is either friendship or family. Magical bonds...” she sighed. “I don’t know much about them. When I told my godfather that my magic liked  people he had to explain to me that it was likely a bond in the first place.”

She bit her lip, curling further into his strong frame. “I was terrified that it might be meddling with free will or something. It doesn’t. The trust we just instantly had was because a magical bond allows you to just... know someone instinctively. It doesn’t actually influence you.”

Yukimura curled a supportive arm around her waist. “I never thought that you would usurp free will  Hariel -chan. You never would. I trust you.” She was so incredibly, blissfully, relieved.

“ So you can be magically bonded as family, friend or what, soulmate? Lover? Wife?” He asked curiously, then watched in delight as her pale cheeks turned bright red at the last few words.

“Uhm... Sirius said that he had a bond with my dad, James, which made them brothers. I know that my bond with  Ryoma was always between siblings. I think Kaoru is my friend. You...” She frowned. “I don’t know. It’s definitely platonic though.” She had little to no knowledge in this subject.

“I’ll research it.” She sighed out, frustrated by her own lack of knowledge.

“What is your bond with Fuji like?” Yukimura asked ‘innocently’.  Hariel blushed, hiding her face against his chest shyly. “It’s like the bond between my dad and my mom. S-So... it is most likely romantic in nature.” She eventually said shyly.

Yukimura smiled. “I’m happy that you found someone Hariel-chan.” Then he shifted onto his back, dragging her along to lie on his chest. She was so light that it wasn’t uncomfortable in the slightest. “We know the bond is platonic, that’s good enough for me. We’ll call it friendship if anyone asks.” He eventually said. Hariel hummed, satisfied.

She sighed, staring at the too familiar ceiling. “I told you that my owl, Hedwig, was murdered.” She bit her lip, hard. “She was my familiar.” She confessed, the taste of blood smeared on her lip.

“I’m sorry. I wish I could have met her.” Yukimura whispered softly. His  imouto had a familiar and the bond was so strong... that  kneazle was basically a part of their family.

Hariel tried to blink away the tears. “Yeah I... I think she would have liked you.” The words burned, but at the same time it was good. She never wanted to forget Hedwig. 

* * *

Hariel bounced on her toes, eyes tracking Yuuta’s movements. She moved the moment she saw which way the ball was going, easily sending it soaring back over the net.

She was helping him develop a new play style, without the damaging move. She hit the ball, seeing him use his super rising again made her cock her head to the side thoughtfully. “ Yuuta-kun , you must be able to predict roughly what is going to happen to use Super Rising. Have you thought about developing that further?”

When they collapsed in the grass, drinking from their water bottles, the youngest Fuji was still thoughtfully mulling over her stray comment. 

“Nee-san said that you’ve been spending time with  aniki .” He eventually commented. Normally he would be worried, that she might forget about him, that his  aniki would overshadow him again. But she always showed up for their matches and still trained with him. He also believed that Hariel might like his  aniki , but she would never worship him for his tennis, or his looks, or his brilliance.

She wasn’t shallow enough to make friends because of gain, or reputation. She’d never be anything like those fangirls who had dismissed his existence so  completely .

Hariel blushed bright red.  Yuuta’s eyes widened... “I, uhm... he’s been very kind. We played an interesting match.” She mumbled out. “Do you like aniki?!” He blurted out, then watched in mild fascination as her face turned fire engine red, nearly radiating heat.

“... I uhm, he’s been very nice, and he’s funny.” She mumbled out. “He just understands what I mean when I said that it felt like I wasn’t even a person at my old school.”

Yuuta’s shoulders relaxed. “ So you clicked with him, in a way that most people don’t understand.” She nodded shyly. “ Yuuta-kun ... I won’t forget you, or replace you.  Syusuke -san is  Syusuke -san and  Yuuta-kun is Yuuta-kun.”

He nodded, understanding what she was trying to say. “I know. I trust you.”

Hariel smiled, glad. 

* * *

Hariel was watching the  regular's practice. Fuji was merely keeping pace because he wanted to watch the others drink Inui’s patented juice.  Hariel wondered if it was really that bad, potions could be incredibly disgusting as well but she never fainted from those.

Slowly she walked up to  Sakuno , muttering a low hello. The loud girl who usually accompanied the coach’s granddaughter often kept her away, but every so often if the petite girl was  alone she came over to talk to her. She did like the shy brunette, she was one of the kindest people Hariel had ever met.

“Ah,  Hariel-chan , hello. Did you come to watch  Ryoma-kun practice again?" She nodded  vaguely, gaze caught on  Sakuno’s short skirt, part of  Seigaku’s uniform. 

Abruptly she realised that as a girl she would be expected to wear that green frilly monstrosity as well. There was no way that she would. It would show more than she was comfortable with. She never even wore skirts before, she wasn’t ready for a mini-skirt every day.

After practice  ended she said goodbye to Sakuno and then she strode up to  Ryoma . “ Ryoma-nii .” She stated abruptly, ignoring the few regulars still hanging around. “I can’t go to  Seigaku .” His eyes widened. “What? Ri, what’s going on?” She frowned. “I don’t want to wear that girly uniform. I’d be half naked.”

Ryoma’s eyes widened as well. “Right. We’ll need to tell oyaji, and you need to ask Yukimura if he can tutor you from a distance. You can’t go to  Seigaku .”

Inui, Fuji and Momo, who had been watching the odd conversation snickered. “Echizen, you can apply for the male uniform as a girl. Several shy girls have done so in the past. It was a huge debacle several years ago, it ended up in the newspapers.” Inui stated, glasses glinting. “It was deemed to be sexist to force the girls to wear short skirts, and ever since the technical rule has existed, that you are expected to wear a uniform, but not  necessarily the one designed for your gender.”

“Saa, so I could come to school in the girl’s uniform for solidarity...” Fuji stated whimsically. The regulars stared at him... The chaos Fuji-girl would unleash was not something they wanted to witness. The sadist already had enough  opportunities to fuck with people’s heads.

Inui nodded. “It is allowed.”  Hariel sighed out in relief. “Boy’s uniform, great. I can live with that.”  Ryoma nodded. “Good, problem solved.” He glanced between  Hariel and the regulars. “By the way, this is my  imouto . Echizen Hariel.” He stated stoically.

Momo’s eyes widened comically. “Eh, how come we never met her before. I always pick you up in the morning.” Inui merely nodded in greeting. “Echizen- chan , you will arrive in the  boys uniform then? When are you starting school?” She blinked up at the tall regular. She was already adapting, getting used to his blunt manner and data gathering. “Next week, on Monday, if I pass my test.”

“Ii, data.”

“ Hariel leaves home later then I do to go to tutoring. That’s why you never see her in the morning.” Ryoma stated indifferently. Momo nodded, that made sense. Still, it was weird to find out that their team’s stoic chibi had a little sister, whom he seemed to dote on even.

“She’s been watching us practice on and off since the school year started, Momo.” Fuji murmured. “Did you not see her any of those times, with Ryuzaki-chan?” “Eh?” Purple eyes blinked in shock. “You mean she’s been here all along?” Fuji cocked his head. “Saa...”

“We need to get changed, no use standing around here.” Ryoma said stoically.

Momo and Echizen walked away towards the clubhouse, bickering as they usually did. Inui followed them, glasses glinting eerily.

Fuji smiled down at Hariel. “Hariel-chan... will you model for me down by the river?” She nodded shyly. She had said that she would be his model, and she didn’t mind going to the river. It was one of her favourite places.

Fifteen minutes later, Fuji had showered and changed. He met  Hariel at the gate. “I’ll need to pick up my camera. Is that okay?” She nodded. They walked in silence for a while. “Do I need to wear something else? Do I need make-up?" She asked shyly. He shook his head. “No. I think you are beautiful exactly the way you are and I want to capture that.”

She blushed shyly. Eventually she spoke up again. “ Syusuke -san... does it still bother you, being famous as the  tensai of  Seigaku ?” He  sighed, eyes fully focussed on her. “Yes and no.” He said thoughtfully. “I find the idea of idolization abhorrent. It reduces people to images and ideas. Two-dimensional. I am the soft-spoken  tensai . It leaves no room for a real personality.”

Hariel hummed. She had hated being the Girl-Who-Lived. “But it doesn’t matter much anymore. To the other regulars, I am Fujiko-chan, or Fuji, or even Fuji-senpai. A person... they are my friends and they matter more.”

She smiled up at the blue sky. “Yeah... friends are amazing.” 

* * *

Fuji unlocked the door. “I’m home.” He called softly. He guided  Hariel to the living room. Everyone blinked in shock.  Ryoga and Yumiko were on the couch, cuddling.

“Saa,  Ryoga -san.” Fuji smiled at him, if the serrated  expression could be called that. “What are you doing here?”

“ Ryoga-nii-san ...”  Hariel frowned. This morning, he had said that he was going to university.  So either this was spontaneous or he had lied to her. She despised lies. If she was his girlfriend that was his business but it did make him a hypocrite for telling her to open up more.

The idea hurt, and she automatically allowed numbing ice to rise up and swallow her. A sincere smile, barely different from her true smile rose up, as she pushed away the pain. “Is Yumiko-san your girlfriend?” He nodded  mutely, this was not how he had wanted anyone to find out. “I think you two make a lovely couple, it’s nice to see you happy together.”  Hariel stated kindly, the lack of true warmth in her expression not even truly detectable.

Only Fuji, who was unknowingly linked to her magic felt anything off.

“Sorry I didn’t tell you, I just wanted to be together with her for a while before involving the whole family.”  Ryoga said softly. Yumiko hummed. “Thank you  Hariel -chan. What are you doing here?”

Fuji  frowned, expression serious for once. “We are picking up my camera. We’ll be going now. I’m happy for you, neesan.”

Yumiko smiled at him happily. She hadn’t hidden anything from her family. She had told them about the dates she had gone on and said that any day now she was going to bring him home. She hadn’t told them his name, but that was more by accident then design.

Fuji gently guided  Hariel away from the couple, his warm hand settling against the small of her back. He took her upstairs, closing the door behind them.

He pushed her towards his bed, then he kneeled in front of her, between her legs. “What’s wrong?” Sharp cerulean pinned her in place. “He said... niisan said that he was only going to university this morning. He said I need to open up more, that I should tell my family about the people I meet, about how my day went."

Fuji frowned, the oldest Echizen sibling had likely not meant to hurt his sister, but he had. For someone who was abused, trust was fragile. He was almost certain that her homelife before her adoption hadn’t been good. She showed some of the signs.  Ryoga should have known better than to ever risk her trust.

He kissed her forehead gently. “He loves you, even if he handled this situation like an idiot.” He stated softly. At his kind words, the ice inside her heart cracked. Tears slowly welling up. She leaned forward, head dropping onto his shoulder. “I know...” She mumbled into his shoulder. “But he lied to me. I know he loves me, but it still hurts.”

Fuji sighed. “Saa...” There was nothing he could do. Except be there for her.

She lifted her  head, her tears had slowly stopped. “I can take you home, if you want.” The  tensai offered slowly. She shook her head. “No I... if you still want to, I want to go to the river with you.” He nodded. He put his camera gear into a bag, and opened the door, motioning for her to go first. Fuji  followed the raven down the stairs.

She ignored the living room, and headed straight for the front door. He sighed, then sent a quick text to his sister and followed her.

* * *

Fuji got his bike from the shed and motioned for her to take a seat. Contently leaning against his strong back, Hariel basked in his heat. The landscape passed her by in a blur. When they reached the river, she hopped off and walked away from him thoughtlessly.

Hariel wandered down to the river bank, taking of her shoes and wading into the cold water. Fuji smiled, watching her smile freely, swishing her fingers through the sparkling blue river.

He raised his camera, watching her smile without reserve. Adjusting a few settings, he took a close up of her face, mostly turned away. The photograph was beautiful and mysterious. It showed only one fiery green eye, raven curls gleaming blue with a melancholic smile backed by a river.

Within only a few moments,  Hariel was coming towards him again. She smiled up at him, eyes sparkling with life. “ Syusuke -san, the water is cool, come sit?" She asked shyly.

He took her hand and watched her contently as she towed him down to the river bank.

They ended up sitting side by side, feet dangling in the cold water. “Sometimes I think that the river will wash away all of my pain if only I sit here long enough.”  Hariel murmured thoughtfully. Fuji hummed, mostly to reassure her that he was listening.

Hariel sighed. “I know I’m being unreasonable.  Ryoga-nii-san ... did nothing wrong.” She frowned delicately. Fuji merely took her hand, weaving their fingers together into a strong bridge idly. “It’s not unreasonable,  Hariel -chan. They are your feelings, neither good nor bad.”

She bit her lip hard enough that she tasted blood, curling into his side silently. Fuji looked down at her small frame with serious eyes, tenderly swiping his thumb over her bloody lip. Without thinking it over, he took another picture, this time of empty green and a blood red painted lip. He would need to adjust the settings and change the colours at home, but this picture would likely turn out... emotionally charged.

Setting aside his camera, he pulled her completely into his lap. Then he sank back until he was lying down, taking her with him. “ Hariel -chan... you don’t need to be okay. Whatever you feel, you are allowed to feel it.” She shoved her face into the delicate curve where his neck connected to his shoulder. 

Only a few tears dripped onto his skin, before she easily calmed down, pacified by the scent of rain and spice.

She breathed out slowly, not noticing his shiver at the feeling of her hot moist breath skating over his skin. He wound a strong pale hand into her thick hair, gripping tightly in response. Hariel, feeling his tight grasp, felt only grounded. Like he was preventing her from getting lost in her own sadness.

Contently she spoke up a while later,  bonelessly sprawled over his body. “You always know just what to say... Thank you.” Fuji hummed, distracted by the feeling over her body sprawled all over him.

“How old are you? When is your birthday?” He asked, curiously. He felt the insatiable need to know everything about her, but he could start with more general knowledge. Hariel blinked, he hummed at the feeling of her eyelashes delicately fluttering over his throat. “I’m fourteen. My birthday is on the 31 st of July. How old are you, and when is your birthday?” She returned the question, equally curious. “I’m celebrating my fourth birthday this year."

Hariel blinked in confusion, before quickly drawing the correct conclusion. “February 29 th. You are turning sixteen.” She hummed into his skin. Fuji  smiled, she was a sharp one. 

Hariel drifted off for a while, inexplicably incredibly content with her current position. Fuji twined his slender fingers through her hair, liking the feeling of the silky strands sliding through his fingers.

“S-Sorry for falling asleep.” She whispered a while later, sitting up in the cradle of his hips, utterly unaware of the effect she was having on him. Fuji sat up, pulling slightly roughly on her hair to get her to lift her head enough that he could look her in the eye.

He smiled. “I’m glad you feel comfortable with me.”  Hariel silently groaned, she didn’t know why, but his manhandling of her via the grip he took on her hair made her feel... good. She stared at his face for a while, unashamed. She could be dense at the strangest times. The witch glanced at the camera. 

Impishly she took the device, looking through the lens, she intuitively adjusted a few settings. Then she pushed him, and took a picture of his sprawled-out form. He was smirking at her, clearly having consciously allowed her fun.

He looked at ease, relaxed and unguarded in a way she hadn’t really seen him yet. She’d caught glimpses when they were alone, but nothing like this...

Taking his camera from her hand and putting it to the side, he grasped her wrists. In a move which looked deceptively easy, he casually flipped them over. Pinning her to the ground with one hand, he picked up his camera with the other hand.

He carefully took a picture of her smiling face. She looked... unburdened, happy. With her hair spread out like a dark halo and glittering emerald eyes, her petite frame sprawled out on the river bank, she made for a tempting sight.

Trying not to succumb to his mounting desire, he stood up, leaning down he grasped her hips to easily lift her frame up. “I’ll show you any picture I make of you, then you can decide whether you want the only copy, or if you’ll allow me to use any in my portfolio.” He said serenely, trying to distract himself.

Hariel nodded shyly, she still thought it strange that he would even want a photograph of her, but she appreciated his serious stance in regards to her consent.

“Thank you.” She frowned. “Truly, I had a lot of people take my picture without consent, I’ve even been in newspapers before even though I never gave permission. So I... really appreciate the care you take with making sure that I’m okay with the pictures you take." She said softly, smiling up at him in a trusting and open manner.

He swallowed. “Of course, I’d hate to make you uncomfortable, and I’d never do anything without your consent.” He stated seriously, familiar with  paparazzi and just how disgusting their actions could get.

She hugged him spontaneously, winding slender arms around his waist and pressing her cheek closer to his t-shirt clad chest, appreciating his body warmth. “I trust you.” 

He curled his arms around her shoulders, content to enjoy the lingering embrace.

* * *

“Ne, Kawakami-san, do you know anything about magical bonds?”  Hariel asked curiously during her very first lesson with the older witch. Grey eyes blinked at  her, a little bit stunned. Whatever questions she might have been expecting from the petite witch who was currently her student, this wasn’t one of them.

“ Magicals form bonds with marriage, or as godparents. Sometimes as siblings. A bond is usually two  magicals willingly linking their cores in some way. Black-san, who is still registered as your godfather, is linked to your core. His magic still protects you.” Japan was well aware of the Black Lord’s innocence, but they couldn’t keep the English  aurors from hunting him down without violating international treaties.

Hariel glanced over shyly. The Japanese witch had been very kind so far, and her lesson was going well. She might even go as far as saying that she liked the lady, but she didn’t trust her.

“I, uhm, actually meant a naturally formed bond.” The raven-haired teacher frowned. “Why do you want to know? Those are incredibly rare. You should focus on your studies first.” Her eyes softened. “You are working very hard, but you are very far behind right now.”

Hariel silently wrote down her answers, applying herself to her homework. She didn’t speak another word during the lesson, unless Kawakami directly asked her a question. She had withdrawn at the censure.

At the end of their hour-long lesson the brunette witch sighed. “Why did you want to know?” She asked.  Hariel frowned, silently biting her lip. Eventually she whispered. “Sirius said that mum and dad had a natural love bond. He was dad’s brother... also a natural bond.”

Kawakami inhaled softly. No wonder the poor child was curious. None of the adults she should have been able to go to for answers were there, murdered or on the run.

“I don’t know a lot about this, these bonds are just so rare Echizen-chan. I’ll see if I can’t find a few books for you about the subject, alright?” Hariel nodded thankfully.

She waved distractedly as the older raven-haired witch left. 

* * *

Hariel opened the door to  Ryoga’s room. Seeing him still slumbering away, she silently tiptoed over. Quietly she burrowed under the blankets, curling around her oldest brother. She was still upset... but she didn’t want to be.

Ryoga woke up with a face full of black curls. “Chibi-Ri... wah?” He mumbled, confused. His golden eyes were peering down in confusion, at the tiny witch wrapped around him like a baby monkey.

Hariel hummed, refusing to look him in the eye. Instead she hid her face against his shoulder, pulling the blanket up over her head. Even if she desperately wanted everything to be okay between them she didn’t know how.

Ryoga sighed, pulling her along as she turned to lie on his back.  Finally he broke the silence. “I’m sorry.”  Hariel merely tightened her grasp, refusing to say something. 

Infinitely gentle hands were carding through her hair. “I never meant to keep anything from you. I just wasn’t ready to share my... relationship with Yumiko-chan yet.”

The petite witch still didn’t say anything. She knew his reasoning, but he lied and that hurt. It tasted of betrayal, such a hated familiar bitter taste.

They spent a long time in silence,  Hariel trying to come to terms with the situation. Knowing that he never meant to hurt her, but that he did.  Ryoga was rubbing her back, the gesture soothing.

“It hurts.” Her hand clenched into her t-shirt, directly over her heart. “I forgive you. I shouldn’t even be making a deal out of something so small.” Fierce green eyes peeked out over the blanket.

Catching and holding his gaze for the first time since that painful moment in Fuji’s house.

“But if I ever find out you lied to me again. I won’t let it go ever again. Tell me you don’t want to talk about something, tell me you aren’t ready to share. I don’t fucking care, but never lie to me again.” She spit out, her nails biting warningly into the flesh of his upper arm.

Ryoga leaned into the pain, wrapping an arm around her trembling shoulders. “I promise.” He sighed out against her soft hair.

“Okay.” She breathed out unsteadily, trying to get rid of the tension knotted into her shoulders. “Okay.” Finally, she curled into him completely, relaxing completely into his grip.

Later, the first thing she did was text Fuji... it wasn’t to tell  Ryoma that she wasn’t fighting with  Ryoga anymore. It wasn’t to talk to Rinko. Or to blurt out the truth to Nanjirou.

Staring down at her cell phone, where she had received his answer she wondered at the rate she was coming to trust in the boy.

* * *

Hariel patiently waited for the mirror to stop showing her own reflection. “Hello fawn." Came the reassuring bass-voice of her godfather. She smiled at him. 

“Hey Sirius."

When he seemed content to merely look at her, she spoke up again. “I told Seiichi-senpai that I’m a witch.” The brunet looked at her with badly concealed worry. “How did he take it?” 

“He took it really well. His little sister is a  muggleborn witch."

The older magical blinked. “I’m glad baby girl. It’s good that you are reaching out to other kids.” Grey eyes darkened for a split-second. “Being on your own is no good."

The raven-haired girl bit her lip, sick and tired of pain and hating that she couldn’t help someone who was so important to her. She had never hated so fiercely before, but Wizarding Britain was ruining Sirius’s life and she wanted to stop them so badly.

“Sirius...” He hummed in question. “I’m sorry... if it wasn’t for me Pettigrew would never have managed to escape.”

The Black Lord smiled at her, not in mischief, but sincerely, loving. “Fawn... I’m so proud of you. You have such a loving heart, and you should never apologize for it. There is nothing you need to apologize for.”

Tears spilled over and dripped down her cheeks slowly. The wizard longed to be there for her, and cursed the fact that all they had was mirror-calls.

* * *

“Come on, I’ll bring you to Yukimura.”  Ryoga rumbled down at his tiniest sibling. She was obviously nervous for her entrance exam. She had been furiously studying lately, trying to make sure that she was academically ready to enter Seigaku. On top of her Magical schooling which she had very recently restarted she was spreading herself too thin.

Half unfocussed green orbs glanced up at him from beneath messy hair. She had several writing implements stuck through the bun, bundled up in one of his t-shirts and sweatpants she seemed to be... hardcore studying. “ Nii-san , I need to understand this. I don’t have time to...” She swallowed, flipping through pages upon pages of formulas. 

“Yeah no, you need a break. Take along your books if you have to, Yukimura will help you out, but I am taking you there now. You clearly need a break.”

He swept all of her books, notebooks and markers into her bag, and then pushed her towards the door. “Let’s go.”

Hariel followed him in a daze, too tired and too mentally exhausted to really protest.  Ryoga wrangled her into wearing a helmet and then they were off.

Soothed by her big brother’s presence and the rumbling of his bike she drifted off.

When they arrived at the hospital,  Ryoga smiled down at her sleeping form. He tugged the straps of her bag over his shoulders and then picked her up bridal style. She curled into him trustingly, remaining sound asleep.

Awkwardly he managed to knock on the by now familiar door. “Come on in.” A soft voice whispered hoarsely.

Nudging the door open with his foot,  Ryoga frowned when he saw the boy. He looked awful, if  Hariel looked tired, he looked utterly exhausted. “ Yo , Yukimura.  Chibi-chan is freaking out over her entrance exam, so I brought her to you.”

Hazy, kind violet eyes locked onto her sleeping form. Weakly he reached out.  Ryoga plopped his precious burden into his arms, watching as she curled into him with a sigh.

“I’ll come pick her up in about three hours. The test is tomorrow, so if you could just...” He vaguely gestured with his hand. The Tennis Captain merely nodded. “I’ll make sure she knows she’s prepared.” A fine navy-haired eyebrow rose. “I don’t think she has noticed that the new books weren’t for second term, but for second years. She’s already well prepared.”

Ryoga’s golden eyes widened in unexpected mirth. “Really? You’ve been tutoring her in second year material?” Yukimura merely nodded. “I mentioned it once, but she was sleepy then, so she must have forgotten. I’ll tell her when she wakes up. She’s over-prepared really. She’ll ace her first-year placement, and it wouldn’t surprise me if she ended up a second year, she’s several months ahead of them.”

Ryoga snorted. “Okay, just, calm her down. She’s been overworking herself.” His golden eyes softened. “I think she doesn’t want to let  kaa-chan and  oyaji down or something equally silly. They’d never be disappointed. But well, she worries...”

Yukimura calmly curled his fingers into her hair, gently pulling out the pens and pencils she had stuck into her wild mane. “I’ll take care of her...”

Reassured, Ryoga nodded, and left.

* * *

Hariel blinked sleepily. She was sprawled over Yukimura, who was watching her with alert violet eyes. “Did you sleep well?” He asked, in his soft voice. The witch nodded, still a little out of it.

“ Hariel ...  Ryoga -san mentioned that you were overworking  yourself .” She bit her lip, he sounded disappointed. “I didn’t... I don’t want to... I just...”

Seeing his friend, arguably his best friend dissolve in stressed babbling made something inside of him ache. Softly putting a finger over her lips, he gently tugged on a soft black curl. “ Hariel-chan , stop.”

She sighed, putting her head back down, and listened to his steady heartbeat for a while. “Now, what’s going on. I made sure you were ready you know. Why are you panicking?” He asked, idly nudging her legs over his so that they were more comfortably situated.

“I just don’t want to disappoint my, my parents.” She eventually admitted shyly.

Yukimura raised a mocking eyebrow. “ Hariel -chan. I gave you the second-year books. Because you devoured the first-year material.” “Eh?” Nonchalantly he pressed a soft kiss to her lips. It was a warm gesture, filled with affection. 

“I guess you really weren’t paying attention back then. You did seem kind of sleepy.” He mused out loud.

Hariel nuzzled her face under his jaw, enjoying the simple skin contact. “Sorry.” She muttered. Yukimura grinned down at her. “It’s alright, just try not to go overboard anymore. You’ll do fine on your placement tests.” She smiled shyly. “All thanks to you, Seiichi-senpai.” Affectionately she squeezed his hand.

Somehow the normal boundaries just didn’t apply with them. Yukimura sighed, staring in mild longing at her unique blue hair. He would love to have her sit for a painting. Not that he got to do much painting lately.

“I miss painting.” He admitted quietly. “Why can’t you paint here?”  Hariel asked slowly. He’d been here for almost half a year already. This room was basically his home. Even if he would leave soon. His surgery was in two  weeks' time .

“My parents didn’t see the need to bring that much equipment to the hospital.” Yukimura was vaguely bitter about that. From a practical standpoint he understood. He just... really missed painting. It was his passion, right alongside tennis. To have one already taken from him and not even be able to cling to the other burned.

Hariel frowned, her small delicate face looking surprisingly harsh. “I can bring you supplies.” She stated confidently. He startled. “You really don’t need to go through that much trouble.” The navy-haired boy said softly.

Warm green eyes caught and held his gaze. “I want to.” She was rewarded with a radiant smile. “You ... ” A loving kiss was pressed to her forehead. “Just, thank you.” She hummed happily, glad to be able to help in some small way.

Tugging her back down, to sprawl all over him again, Yukimura relaxed under her slight reassuring weight. “I asked Kawakami-san about natural bonds... I just told her my parents had one and that I was curious.”  Hariel said,  sometime later.

“You don’t trust her.” Violet eyes opened shortly, to glance down at her slender frame. She hummed in agreement. “She’s a witch. I know it’s hypocritical, but  Magicals ...” Yukimura nodded. “They hurt you, I understand.”

Hariel sighed. “Yeah... I just can’t bring myself to believe in her. The last adult I even vaguely trusted allowed hundreds of adolescent  Magicals to attack me at their leisure.”

Yukimura traced the thin white spirals over her arm. Lazily lifting her hand to press soft lips to the scarred skin he murmured. “Don’t force yourself. Either she will prove herself trustworthy eventually or she won’t but I’ll always be here, like your family, so it really doesn’t matter in the slightest.”

Hariel hummed, there was nothing more to say after that, he was right.

“Love you.” She muttered sleepily, sinking into the warm comfort of his presence easily. Yukimura smiled, a radiant expression lighting up his features. A soft kiss to her temple was followed by his soft voice. “I love you too.”

Hariel smiled, and slipped into sleep. Her dreams were warm and soft.

* * *

Ryoga knocked on the hospital door, then he entered without waiting for permission. “ Yo ,  chibi-chan , Yukimura.” He greeted them casually.

The male Echizen’s eyebrows rose.  Hariel was sitting in Yukimura’s lap, her tiny frame draped over him, as close as possible without melding into one being. “Hey  niisan .” She greeted him without even lifting her head, her words almost disappearing into the soft skin under her lips.

“Are you entirely sure you two aren’t dating? You look incredibly cosy over there." Lazy violet and green orbs tracked his progress into the room. “Mhm, yeah.”  Hariel muttered, too relaxed to really bother with answering.

Yukimura sighed, briefly tightening his arms around her waist. “We’re sure. I just don’t feel sexually attracted to her at all.”  Hariel nodded. “That. Seiichi-senpai is attractive, but I can’t feel it. He might as well be part of the furniture as far as my libido is concerned.” She said bluntly.

Yukimura grinned slyly. “I’m fairly sure that  Hariel doesn’t even register anyone besides Fuji as a potential life mate. She blushes very cutely when she talks about him you know.”

Ryoga sighed, he did know, but he would have preferred not to. “You two are very strange. I’ve never seen people as close as you two are while remaining entirely platonic.”

The two teenagers glanced at him, mischief twinkling in their eyes. “We’re just very special that way.”  Hariel stated. “Are you jealous of our love  Ryoga -san? Don’t worry,  Hariel-chan loves you very much, and I’m sure I can muster up some positive feelings for you... eventually.” Yukimura smiled at him, an angelic expression that filled him with dread.

He inched away from the entangled duo. “ Oooookay . We’re going now, before you can corrupt my little sister any further.” He picked up  Hariel’s bag, holding out a hand to help her up.

Hariel sighed mournfully, rubbing her face against his warm skin one last time. “ I’lll see you tomorrow, Seiichi-senpai.” Allowing  Ryoga to take her hand, she was easily set on her feet.

She waved at her friend as he said goodbye.

Halfway down the long, sterile hallway  Hariel jumped onto his back.  Ryoga stumbled in surprise but easily caught her.  Hariel grinned. “I’m so tall...” She breathed out.

Ryoga smirked. “I’m glad to see you so relaxed. I suppose bringing you to Yukimura really was the best choice.”  Hariel merely nodded. “Senpai is always good at helping me work through things.” She said seriously.  Ryoga’s gaze turned serious for a moment. “I’m glad you found him, chibi.”

Hariel rested her chin on top of his head, taking care not to hurt him. “So am I,  nii-san , so am I.”

* * *

Hariel , with pinpoint precision managed to hit the ball just out of  Yuuta’s reach. She grinned fiercely and the brunet grinned back just as wild. They tended to give their all even in practice, always pushing each other to do better.

“I send a sketch of  Syusuke -san to Luna-bell and Mione. My friends in England, because they were curious.” She narrowed her eyes when  Yuuta’s Super Rising, faster and far more precise, soared towards her.

At the last possible  second she tilted her racket and countered.

“Do you want to know what Luna said?” She asked softly, smile open and at ease in a way that was near impossible for her even weeks ago. She was completely relaxed in his company and he was glad for it. He wanted the petite girl to trust him. She was one of his closest friends after all.

For a second he wondered if he really wanted to listen to more compliments for his attractive aniki, but then he saw her hopeful face and nodded resigned.

“Luna thinks he would make a beautiful girl.” After that they had to stop practice, because  Yuuta was giggling too hard to even hold a racket. The sheer disbelief, the way the conversation took a left turn from the expected praise was just. Too funny.

“ Hahahaaa ,  aniki might even think that it a better compliment then hot. He’s weird like that.”  Yuuta eventually stated fondly. It was still hard, being around his brother. He was working on it though, slowly...

* * *

Hariel flopped onto  Ryoma’s bed, splaying out like a starfish. “I feel like I haven’t seen you in ages.” The witch said softly. Twin golden orbs turned towards her, their owner leaving his homework behind for a moment to look at her. “I guess we’ve been too busy.” The youngest regular said, frowning. Now that she mentioned it, he felt like he hadn’t spent a moment alone with her in ages.

Hariel hummed in answer.  Ryoma smirked, before draping himself over her stomach heavily. “Get off  nii-chan , you’re heavy.” She poked his side.  Ryoma refused to move. “I am not.” He replied, not even offended but feeling the need to defend himself from her accusations never the less.

“Are you ready for your placement test?” She nodded. “Senpai says I’m well up to second year standards, so first year placement tests should be easy to ace.” She groaned. “Even Japanese literature. Which I still don’t understand at all.”

Ryoma turned over, deigning to lift himself off of her tiny frame to lie down beside her. “It’s not my best subject either.” Gently he caught her small hand, waving their fingers together. “ Hariel ...” She hummed. “I’m glad that you are going to school with me. That you are here.” She smiled. “Yeah... me too.”

The two youngest Echizen siblings fell asleep together.  Rinko smiled, tenderly tucking them in. She closed  Ryoma’s book, marking his page, turned off the lights and closed the door behind her gently.


	9. The Regulars

Hariel woke before dawn, nervous butterflies in her stomach. She smiled gently at  Ryoma , who was curled protectively around her. Carding a gentle hand through his hair, she slowly extracted herself from his clingy form.

For all that he was a brat  Ryoma was cutely attached to both Ryoga and her.

She silently left his room, heading for her own to gather everything she’d need today. Picking out clothes was hard. She didn’t usually care in the slightest but she wanted to make a good impression at school.

Anxiously she stood in front of her wardrobe. It was filled with mostly bland clothes, and old clothes from her adopted family. Nothing frilly or attention grabbing. It hit her all at once that she didn’t really have her own style. Petunia had always bought her bland cheap clothes. She hadn’t gone as far as to hand her Dudley’s old clothes because she was a girl, but she had never been allowed to choose either.

Sighing, she picked out neat jeans and a long sleeve black t-shirt to wear. It would have to do.

Brushing her teeth, she scrunched up her nose against the sharp sting of the tooth paste. Rinsing quickly, she gargled with water and then stepped under the shower. Today was... important. This test would decide whether she would be allowed to go to Seishun Gakuen. She wanted to go. Ryoma went there, Kaoru-kun was there... Syusuke...

She’d miss Yukimura immensely, but he would be leaving Tokyo soon either way. She refused to even consider the mere idea that he wouldn’t survive his upcoming surgery.

Tilting her head up to the warm water she relaxed into the heat.  Hariel found it hard to resist the warmth and it took her a while to get out from under the soothing stream of hot water.

She dressed quickly, put together everything she would need in her bag and set off. She walked because she couldn’t afford to show up sweaty at her examination even though everything in her yearned for the physical burn and the way running made her mind go smooth and quiet.

Hariel walked to the hospital. It would be easier to wait out the time with Yukimura. She just hoped that he was awake. She wouldn’t bother him if he was asleep...

She reached the hospital just before the weak light of false dawn appeared on the horizon.

The sterile white building appeared eerie in the dark. There were no people in the empty corridors, no patients and no visitors. It was like a ghost town. Swallowing  nervously, she knocked on Yukimura’s door as softly as possible, to avoid waking him.

“Come in.” A defeated voice called. Yukimura was lying sprawled over his covers, face flushed. He was missing his top and seemed to be feverish. He was sweating and his face was contorted into a pained grimace.

Hariel’s bag dropped from her suddenly weak hands. “Seiichi...” In her worry she didn’t even notice that she had left off the usual suffix. Glazed violet eyes shot towards her. He seemed surprised and in the back of her mind she registered that he was probably expecting a nurse instead. “ Hari -chan...” 

His voice came out hoarse, he frowned at his own weak voice. He didn’t want to worry the petite girl.

Hariel merely walked closer, her cool hands bringing blessed relief as she took his face into her hands. She smiled at him, an old sad edge lingering around the corners of her eyes. “Are you having a bad day?” She asked, somewhat redundantly.

He nodded in defeat. The pain was horrific today. A dull ache through his entire body, mixed with sharp pains around his knees and ankles, feeling like white hot knives stabbing through his bones, pinning him in place like a half-dead butterfly. Hariel closed her eyes, leaning her forehead against his overheating skin. He sighed in relief at the coolness of her skin. 

The witch focussed, corralling her dense power. She tried to make a conscious effort, drawing several runes with her chilled fingers. Thick almost solid lines of energy were left behind. Her intent bonding the runes into his skin. Runes were always something she had a talent for, and now she used every bit of knowledge she had to create an impromptu ritual.

Yukimura watched in astonishment as the runes glowed violet, scrawled over his collarbones, bright enough to leave afterimages as he blinked in shock.  Hariel bit her thumb, and then she drew a long bloody line over his throat. The blood-magic strengthening the bond between them accidentally while it boosted the healing powers she shouldn’t have. The arcane symbols and the blood sank into his skin and he could feel the difference.

The pain dulled, the fever slowly cooled down into a mild flush and  Hariel swayed on the spot. Emptying almost three quarters of her magical core in one go nearly dropped her from the sudden loss of energy.

Lethargic green eyes blinked up at him. “Better?” She asked, concerned. The navy-haired Tennis Captain nodded mutely. “Good...” She mumbled, and then her eyes rolled back as she lost consciousness.

Alarmed the senior caught the tiny raven as she toppled over. She had been bending over the side of the bed and now he caught her, easily pulling her into his lap. Yukimura frowned, not quite sure if he should be worried. 

Picking up his  cell phone , he decided to dial  Ryoga . He was the only member of  Hariel’s new family Yukimura was acquainted with, and he knew that the university student was aware of magic.

“Hello?” A rude voice asked. “Ryoga-san.” He spoke up softly, carding his hand through her still damp hair. She was cradled against his naked chest, while he gently curled further around her tiny frame.

“Yukimura?” The oldest Echizen sibling suddenly sounded alert. “Is  chibi-chan with you?  Oyaji is freaking out, he can’t find her.” “She is with me. She’s unconscious. I think she used too much magic? I don’t know Ryoga-san, I don’t know anything about magic. I don’t know what to do.” For once the blue haired menace sounded scared. 

Ryoga frowned, motioning for  Nanjirou to shut up. “It’s likely just magical exhaustion, but I’ll be there in fifteen minutes." He hung up on the navy-haired brat, turning to his dad. “Oyaji, she’s at the hospital. She used her magic, probably too much. That was Yukimura just now, she’s unconscious.”

The Samurai’s hazel-brown eyes widened. “Let’s go.” He said shortly, already reaching for his car keys.  Ryoga followed closely behind him. Ryoma, who had caught the tail-end of their discussion ran after the two, joining them in the car.

* * *

“Oi,  oyaji , you should call  kaa -chan. She doesn’t know that  Hariel has been found.”  Ryoma stated stoically, staring out of the window worriedly.

“ Ryoga , call Rinko.” The ex-pro ordered tersely. The raven nodded seriously, already dialling her number.

“ Kaa -chan.  Hariel is at the hospital with her tutor. She apparently used  too much magic. It’s probably magical exhaustion but she’s unconscious.  Oyaji ,  chibisuke and I are already on our way.”  Ryoma could hear  Rinko’s worried voice, but couldn’t quite make out what his mom was saying.

“Okay.” A beat of silence. “Yes, I’ll call as soon as I know more.”  Ryoga said, and then he unceremoniously ended the call.

Nanjirou parked the car and the vehicle had barely stopped before  Ryoga was out of the car, already taking off. 

Ryoma followed his brother, sticking to him like he was his smaller shadow. Nanjirou, despite his worry for his reckless daughter had to smile. It was good to see that his children cared so much for each other.

At a brisk pace he followed his worried kids into the hospital.

Ryoga opened the door to Yukimura’s room without so much as a by your leave. Seeing his sister sprawled over the Tennis Captain was jarring. She seemed to be sleeping peacefully but he couldn’t get the horrible notion out of his head that she might not wake up.

Instead of doing as his kids had done, Nanjirou made sure to consult with a magically aware doctor. The healer, coincidentally Hariel’s actual doctor, agreed to come and check up on her. Though he mentioned soothingly that it sounded like mild magical exhaustion. Common enough and not at all dangerous thankfully.

The man walked into the room. He nearly rolled his eyes when he saw the strange sight. His actual patient was sprawled over one of the long-term residents. A teenager and his older copy were clutching her hands melodramatically, as if she was the one occupying this room instead.

He calmly walked to the bed, pulling out his wand as he went. He waved the ebony stick over her still frame, humming as he watched the soft glow hovering over her chest.

“It’s mild magical exhaustion. She appears to have used about three quarters of her core in one go. There is nothing wrong with her, she’ll wake up within the hour. Within two days she’ll be completely recovered.” He stated mildly, watching in mild entertainment as the two greenettes breathed out in relief.

“So, what did Echizen- chan do?” The healer asked the bed-bound teen curiously. Yukimura looked up at him with relieved eyes. “She drew runes on me and she painted a line on my throat with her blood, they glowed and sank into my skin. I feel... a lot better now.” The navy-haired teen said softly.

The healer’s eyebrows rose. “Strange...” He murmured, before waving his hand over Yukimura in a complicated pattern. 

“Yukimura-kun... your affliction appears to be dormant. That is not to say that you are cured.” He hastened to add, not wanting to give the boy false hope. “You are scheduled for surgery soon right?” The boy nodded. “Your chances are a lot better like this. That surgery is hard on the body, it is extremely invasive and extensive. She forced your illness into remission, while boosting your immune system. Your chances are a lot higher like this.”

He frowned curiously. “I have no idea how she did this though, it is considered impossible to heal without medical knowledge, dangerous even.” He smiled, a serene mild expression. “Her magic is incredibly unique... She succeeded in using a spontaneous ritual. That’s nearly a miracle in and off itself.”

Nanjirou spoke up, a little worried by the fascination, but also grateful that he had been willing to drop  everything to check up on his daughter. “Thank you.” He said gratefully, bowing deeply to the doctor.

The man merely shook his head. “She’s my patient, of course I would check up on her.” Then he nodded towards the room at large. “I do have other patients to attend to though.”

He disappeared through the door, after a short goodbye and a small list of instructions.

* * *

Hariel blinked against the bright sunlight. Her nose twitched in irritation. Fine black eyebrows rose in astonishment when she finally opened her eyes. She took in the strange sight in a daze. “What’s going on? Why is everyone here?” She asked, confused.

Nanjirou was sitting in a chair next to the bed,  Ryoga was leaning against the wall close by while Ryoma had taken up residence at the foot of the large hospital bed.

“Ah,  chibi -chan. Yukimura called me after you fell unconscious.”  Hariel blushed, how embarrassing. It was nothing more than some mild core exhaustion after all. It was only because she hadn’t used large amounts of magic in a while that the feeling even hit her this hard.

“So, who are they?” Yukimura asked serenely. Reassured that nothing was wrong with  Hariel , he had quickly regained his usual soft and calm  demeanour . 

Hariel looked at him, confused. “Didn’t they introduce themselves?”  Nanjirou scratched the back of his head awkwardly. “Ah... we didn’t get around to it yet, bishoujo.”

The witch stared at them, nonplussed. “Okay... this is my  tou-chan , Echizen  Nanjirou .” She waved at the figure in the monk clothes. Yukimura merely nodded hello calmly. Then she gestured to the younger boy sitting on the foot of his bed. “That’s Echizen  Ryoma , my  nii-chan .”

Ryoma looked vaguely pleased to be introduced like that, but as was his usual mo, he nodded and said shortly. “Nice to meet you.” It could be taken as fairly antisocial, but Yukimura knew him from Hariel’s stories, and he really was just pretty introverted.

The blue-haired hospital resident smiled at him softly, it was interesting to see  Ryoma nearly shudder at the sight. Vaguely he wondered why, usually it was just the people who were... acquainted with his sense of  humour who shuddered.

“Ri... he really is a fucking carbon copy of Fuji-senpai.”  Ryoma said rudely. “Oh? Are we a lot alike?” He asked serenely. “Do you like me as well then Hariel-chan? I’m very sorry but I just don’t feel that way about you. Our love is platonic darling.” Hariel blushed bright red. “Shut up Senpai. I don’t want to go on a date with you. It would be like dating Ryoma... or myself.” She finished in an awkward mutter. At this the boy laughed, a gentle chiming sound.

“I’m just teasing you.” He said kindly. Hariel fished her bag from the floor. She had splurged for this, but with her finances she could certainly afford it. She opened it and handed Yukimura a bag of a well-known artistic brand.

“Seiichi-senpai. Paint, create.” She said softly, a monstrously hideous type of smile on her face. A plastic mask for agony. “Sometimes, that is all we can do, all that is left.”

Simultaneously, everyone in the room felt a stab of pain at the thought that she had been that low. That creating was the only thing she’d had left in her life.

He opened the bag, hands trembling as he saw what she had gotten him. Paint of high-end brands,  known for being the best. Several high-quality brushes as well as a notepad, specifically made for painting.

“I... this is... thank you.” Violet eyes were trained on her, shimmering delicately with a thin layer of tears.

Hariel leaned forward, and thoughtlessly placed a soft kiss on his lips. “It’s no problem.”  Ryoma watched, wide-eyed, as his baby sister kissed an older teenager he’d never even met before today. “Ri...” He whispered, shocked. The witch in question cocked her head to the side cutely. “What?” She asked, confused.

Yukimura laughed. A sound of relief and humour. He wrapped one arm around her waist and absently pulled her back into his lap completely.  Hariel was well used to this by now, and merely leaned back against him, humming pleasantly as he pressed a soft kiss against her neck. “He’s shocked that you kissed me, Hariel-chan.” 

He smiled ‘delicately’ at the green-haired teenager. “Don’t worry, Echizen-kun. Truly, I’m not hitting on your sister.” Golden eyes frowned grumpily at the half-naked Tennis Captain wrapped around his sister. “That doesn’t look like you are just friends.” He grumbled.

Hariel sighed, this was going to get very old, very fast. “I don’t want to have sex with Seiichi-senpai. He does not want to have sex with me, we are comfortable together, what is the problem if we both like it this way?”

Nanjirou looked at her kindly. “It’s not a problem,  bishoujo . It’s just a little bit strange. You look like a couple. Kissing is usually just between lovers after all."

Yukimura hummed. “He’s right, but it just feels right. There is nothing sexual, and nothing romantic between us, but I do love you, very much.” He said sincerely, delighted when  Hariel flushed a pretty soft pink colour.

Ryoga sighed, finally speaking up. “Don’t worry,  chibi , even if I don’t like seeing the menace so close to you, it is your choice. We should have seen it coming that you might develop relationships that don’t follow the guidelines, you always did love very fiercely.”

* * *

The green-eyed witch tried to breath out slowly.  Ryoga was taking her to  Seigaku , on the back of his motorcycle. She nervously bit her lip, the anxiety crawling high in her throat now.

She hopped off as soon as he braked, waving hastily as she left towards the school gates.  Ryoga sighed, she was still anxious. It didn’t exactly make sense, since she was very well prepared but then again fear never was and she hated disappointing people.

He drove away after he saw her slender back  disappear through the gates.

Hariel sat in front of the office she had been directed to, her knees knocking together as she fiddled with her fingers.

A dark-haired woman stepped in front of her. “Hello Echizen- chan , you are here to take the placement  tests right?" She nodded mutely, swallowing down her fear and putting on a brave face. As she had done so many times before.

“I am Suzuki  Akira, you may call me Suzuki-sensei. I will be the  examiner ." She stated softly.

The woman was a stereotypical Japanese beauty, her  demeanour was soft and kind.  Hariel relaxed minutely in increments. 

Three hours later, she bowed politely. “Thank you for your time, Suzuki-sensei." The woman smiled kindly. “You can expect the results in three  days' time , Echizen-chan."

Closing the door behind her, she sighed out loud. Well, there was nothing more she could do now. It was out of her hands. She sauntered down the hallway. Relieved to be done. The bell rang, signalling the end of the school day. Several doors down the previously deserted hallway opened up. “Ah, Kaoru- kun ." She blurted out in surprise as she spotted the dark-haired junior. 

“ Fsshhhh ,  Hariel -chan." He said, surprised. “Did you take your placement tests?" He asked gruffly.  Hariel nodded cheerfully. “I’m glad that it’s over. I was nervous, but there is nothing more I can do now."

He nodded.  Hariel automatically followed him towards the courts. “How was your day, Kaoru-kun?" “Alright." He muttered under his breath, glancing awkwardly at the crowd. Many surprised eyes were glued to them.

Hariel frowned, glancing back. “Why are they all staring at us?" She asked, grumpily. She truly detested being the centre of attention.

Most of the students caught staring awkwardly pretended that they hadn’t and immediately started talking to friends or walked away.

“ Fsshhhh ."  Kaidoh hissed, irritated by the fans. “Ah, Echizen’s  imouto ."  Momoshiro said cheerfully. “What are you doing here?" “Placement tests." She mumbled awkwardly, Momo was her brother’s friend and she didn’t quite know how to talk to the amethyst-eyed teen. He was... very loud.

Kaidoh picked up on her rising panic, she really, really didn’t like crowds. He pulled her under the staircase and shielded her from the masses by hovering close by. Since he was a head taller than the petite witch, it was easy to make her disappear.

“Oi  mamushi , why are we hiding out over here."  Momoshiro asked loudly, joining them in their hiding spot. “ Fsshhh , waiting until the crowds thin."  Kaidoh spoke up grumpily.

Hariel hid her face against  Kaidoh’s side, the boy easily wrapping an arm around her as she covered her ears, trying to ignore the noise of the crowd. She shook slightly, trying to ignore the rising panic crawling up her throat.

She swallowed against the panic. As the crowd finally disappeared,  Kaidoh silently motioned for her to get on his back. Hariel, who felt weak and awkward gratefully took the offer. Curling closer to the tall second year she spoke up softly. “Thanks, Kaoru-kun." “Fsshhhh." He hissed, cheeks turning a soft pink.

“Ne, Echizen’s imouto, do you feel uncomfortable around crowds?" Momoshiro asked bluntly. Grumpily Hariel turned away from him, trying to meld into the tall second year who was carrying her outside. “I’m an Echizen as well, why are you calling me Ryoma’s imouto?" She asked sullenly.

“Echizen- chan , then." The power player said.  Hariel sighed, still cringing away slightly from the loud boy. “I... don’t like crowds. I’m not very good with them." She admitted softly.

Momoshiro frowned. She was going to have a tough time coming to  Seigaku if a crowd of this size was upsetting her.

The two second years made their way to the clubhouse accompanied by the petite female Echizen.  Hariel listened to the two bickering. It seemed obvious to her that they were rivals, but also good friends.

Ryoma , spotting  Hariel on  Kaidoh’s back immediately came over. “Ri?" He asked softly, teary green eyes were his only warning, before  Hariel leaned towards him heedlessly of the danger. He caught her awkwardly, as she hugged him around the shoulders, while Kaidoh was still holding her legs.

Momoshiro nearly giggled at the odd sight. Letting the tiny girl down softly, the two juniors watched as she clung to their freshman. Awkwardly patting her hair  Ryoma sighed. “Did your test not go well?" He couldn’t really imagine it since she was actually studying second year material.

Hariel shook her head. “Crowd." She muttered under her breath. She hadn’t actually been confronted by any crowds since her flight from Hogwarts. She hadn’t expected it to be this hard, but maybe she should have. At the rush of students, painful memories had rushed to the forefront of her mind.

Ryoma easily pulled her into the regular’s clubhouse, sitting down to pull her into his lap.  Hariel hid her face against his neck, his usual scent of sun and  ponta calming her down easily.

“ Hariel -chan..." A melodic voice called out softly from the door. It seemed  Kikumaru and Fuji had arrived. “What’s going on, Echizen?" He asked the raven softly, worried about the even smaller teenager ensconced in his lap.

Wandering over to very gently stroke her hair, he waited calmly. Ignoring the regulars who were fluttering around the door, curious about the unknown girl. Oishi, Tezuka, Kikumaru and Kawamura had no idea who she was.

“Crowd." The taciturn first year stated softly. The blue-eyed boy hummed in understanding. He had heard only a little about her old school, but it wasn’t surprising that she had developed a... dislike of crowds if she had been treated so badly there.

Hariel, finally lifting her head turned to look at the regulars hovering in the doorway. “S-Sorry." She blurted out before bolting from Ryoma’s lap to run away from the clubhouse. She hadn’t meant to disturb practice at all.

Fuji shook his head when  Ryoma immediately stood up. “I’ll go after  her, you can change and check up on her after practice." The tensai smiled sunnily. “You don’t want to drink Inui-juice do you?" The Tennis prodigy paled, shaking his head jerkily as he got out his uniform.

Watching the  tensai hurrying after the unknown girl,  Tezuka finally spoke up. “Who was that? Why was there a girl in the changing room?" He asked sternly.

Momoshiro spoke up. “Ah  Buchou , that was Echizen’s  imouto . She took her placement exam today.  Mamushi and I ran into her, she has a fear of crowds. She latched onto Echizen when we got here."

The Captain nodded, protecting someone who was dealing with fear was a good reason to take her to the club room. “I’ll excuse it this once. Now, change into your uniforms and get to practice." 

The regulars nodded and hastily started changing, nobody wanted to run laps if they didn’t have to.

* * *

Fuji easily caught up to  Hariel , who was leaning against a tree, somewhat out of sight. “Ah, Hariel-chan." Red-rimmed, but thankfully dry, eyes peered up at him. “Syusuke-san." She murmured softly in greeting.

“Are you alright now?" He asked softly, she nodded. Silence descended, but it wasn’t filled with tension. Fuji caught her hand, weaving their fingers together gently. “So, how did your test go?" He asked idly, running his fingers over the back of her hand slowly.

“It went okay, I think. She ended up giving me additional tests, but I’m not sure why." The raven-haired girl answered slowly. The genius hummed. “I edited the pictures I took down by the river. Do you want to see them?" He asked slowly. Hariel nodded, intrigued.

He pulled his phone out of his pocked, showing her the images. The full impact was lost because of the size, but they were beautiful. “Beautiful..." She murmured without thinking, as she saw the one picture, she had taken of him. The image had turned out beautiful. The sprawled-out shape of the genius was relaxed and his open eyes gleamed in amusement.

The same gleaming eyes twinkled down at her. “Oh, do you want a copy of my picture? Will you keep it on your desk dear?" He asked her teasingly.  Hariel blushed bright red, but she really wanted that photo so she persevered against the mild  embarrassment . Despite the teasing, she knew he’d never truly hurt her.

“Can I have a copy?" She asked softly, staring down at her sneaker-enveloped toes while her cheeks nearly glowed neon-red. He pressed a slow, soft kiss to her forehead. “I’ll make a copy, what size do you want?" She smiled up at him happily. She loved collecting reminders of her precious people, photos and hand-made gifts. And he was becoming precious to her... at an almost alarming rate.

“Fujiko-chan! Quit hogging Ochibi’s imouto. You have practice." Kikumaru’s voice broke through the easy atmosphere. “Hello, Echizen-chan. I didn’t catch your first name, are you coming to Seigaku?" The cat-like hyper third year asked, as he hang off of Fuji’s tolerant frame.

She nodded, slightly overwhelmed by his enthusiasm. “Ah, I’m Echizen Hariel. You must be Kikumaru Eiji-san, Ryoma-nii talked about you." The redhead beamed at her. “I’ll need to make a nickname for you Hariel-chan. It’s nice to meet you. I hope you’ll like Seigaku." Hariel smiled softly, he seemed really kind, if very hyper. 

“ Eiji , I’ll go change, so go back to practice." Fuji spoke up softly, corralling the cat-boy away from the green-eyed witch easily when he noticed that she was becoming slightly overwhelmed. “Alright  Fujiko-chan , but hurry up.  Tezuka-buchou looked ready to assign laps when he noticed that you weren’t there. He sent me to find you."

The resident sadist nodded, not hurried by the threat in the slightest. “I’ll see you later,  Hariel -chan." Blue eyes looked at her kindly, before their owner walked away leisurely, not at all intimidated by the threatened laps. “Bye  Hariel-Chibi ." The redhead called happily, following behind his classmate.

When Fuji had finally changed into his  uniform he walked up to  Tezuka . “ Fourty laps." He said stoically. “Thank you,  Tezuka ." Fuji stated, as if he was enjoying the punishment laps instead of being forced to run.  Hariel , watching the scene, joined him when he started running around the outside of the Tennis cage.

“Since it is my fault that you have to run laps, I’ll join you. It’s only fair." The green-eyed girl spoke up softly. “Shall we see if we can break the record?" The blue-eyed regular asked slyly. It would be funny if a non-regular, or better yet a girl who wasn’t even a part of Seishun Gakuen yet, could break the record for the fastest set of laps.

Hariel smiled back, equally sly. “You just want to see their faces when a girl beats their precious record." She said softly. “Alright, you are on." After all of her stamina and speed training with both Kaidoh and Yuuta she was curious to see how she stacked up against the record of Seigaku’s boys tennis club.

She immediately flashed  ahead, she had been going at a very relaxed pace so far, but now she was pushing herself. She could keep this up for long time, but it was going to test her endurance.

With a soft laugh, the  tensai ran after her. Their chatter fell silent as they both focussed on going all out. For the normal club members this would amount to all out sprinting. Even for the regulars, the two were fast.

After ten laps, they had drawn quite a lot of attention. “ Fssshhh , she’s unusually serious today."  Kaidoh commented to Inui. “Oh, you run together in the morning right? Is she going all out?" The second year nodded. “She’s not full out sprinting, but for a prolonged run this is very fast."

Tezuka’s eyebrow twitched. They were causing a commotion, and he couldn’t even say anything against it, since he had assigned Fuji laps in the first place.

Oishi looked at the tiny girl curiously, for her to keep up with Fuji... she was extremely fast and she had a lot of stamina. “So that is Echizen’s little sister." He murmured curiously.  Kikumaru nodded. “I met her just now, she was with  Fujiko-chan . She seems nice." He spoke up cheerfully.

Fuji was starting to breath harder around the 35 th lap. If he hadn’t been training harder since his defeat at  Najirou’s hands he would have been panting at the pace she set. She really was a stamina monster. “I think we are attracting a crowd, speed demon-chan." He mentioned in passing as they rounded the corner at the same time.  Hariel grinned at him, high on a runner’s high. “I don’t care." With the fence  separating her from almost all of the other people around she didn’t mind quite as much.

She pulled slightly ahead in the last lap, and Fuji probably could catch up to her if he really pushed himself to the limit, but he didn’t want to. He looked forward to seeing people’s faces when she broke the record, and likely by a large margin too.

Hariel slowed down once she finished the last lap, wandering over to the water fountain to drink. “ Hariel-chibi , you are really fast! Do you play tennis as well?"  Kikumaru’s exited voice alerted her that she had company.

She nodded shyly. “Ii, data." She smiled at the tall third year. For all of his strange manners and the weird concoctions he brewed Inui had certainly been nice to her so far.

“You broke the previous record by quite a large margin,  Hariel -chan." Fuji mentioned ‘casually'. “It’s too bad that you aren’t part of the Tennis club."

Behind the  regulars who were now surrounding her, a crowd of shocked boys stood, gaping.

Hariel frowned. “I’m not that fast, right? Kaoru- kun can certainly outlast me." “Fssshhh, but I can’t beat you on anything shorter than five miles." Dark green eyes were focused on her, softening slightly. “You are really strong, Hariel-chan."

She blushed. “Oh... thanks." She smiled tentatively at the dark-eyed second year. He nodded awkwardly, not used to interacting with her in front of other people. 

“Regulars, back to practice."  Tezuka’s stern voice called out.  Kikumaru waved at her, a grandiose gesture which he seemed to do with as much energy as possible.  Hariel snorted, but gamely waved back.

Oishi nodded neutrally, he still hadn’t actually been introduced. The others mostly acknowledged her in some way and then left to follow their captain.

“Such nice expressions..." Fuji stated softly, smiling that serene smile of his.  Hariel giggled, he seemed to be looking at the still shocked members of the club. “Idiots, if they think they can’t be beaten by girls, they’ll never amount to much." She muttered lowly. Fuji leaned closer, casually pinning her to the water fountain as he leaned over her shoulder to drink as well. 

“I hope they learned their lesson. Sexism irritates me." Blue eyes opened, glaring at the gaping idiots though he was too far away for it to be visible, or effective. “If not, I’ll have to... resort to more drastic measures." The eerie glint shouldn’t be attractive, it was vaguely threatening, but it truly was for her.

She hopped on the counter to sit down, relaxing with Fuji still between her legs and close by. He considered it lucky that the place was mostly shielded, because he did not want attention to be drawn to her just because he was interested in her. Nobody would enjoy the outcome to that... 

Drawn by the sight of one droplet trickling down his skin she leaned closer. Fuji smirked as he caught her fascinated gaze. Burying a hand into her thick curls, he casually pulled her head back to whisper sweetly in her ear, ‘incidentally' plastering their bodies flush together. “I’ll talk to you later... I have something I want to ask you. Hariel-chan..."

The petite witch nearly moaned at his proximity, blushing fiery red and wanting only to lean closer still.

Bold for once,  Hariel wrapped her legs tightly around his waist and buried her own hand into his soft tempting hair. Going so far as to actually lick the delicate shell of his ear, she softly murmured into his ear. “I’ll look forward to it, Fujiko-chan." Impishly she let go, hopping down and leaning into his side for a fleeting hug, then she walked away, grinning at the way his face had turned pink. He was very cute when he blushed because of her, wide blue eyes watching her leave.

Fuji nearly groaned when she wrapped those strong slender legs tightly around his waist. He blushed a soft pink when she leaned closer, feeling her soft curves pressing against his chest. He wanted to pin her to the wall, to kiss her... 

Blue eyes lit with an almost unholy fire as he watched her go. She was playing with fire, then again he always did enjoy a challenge. Hariel shivered at the sheer intensity of his gaze. Maybe she would regret challenging him, but she really didn’t think so. She craved his attention.


	10. Hariel's Story

Ryoma nearly shivered at the way Fuji-senpai's eyes were open for once, tracking Hariel every single moment he wasn’t actively required to pay attention to anything else. What had she done to earn that much intensity.

At the end of practice even  Tezuka-buchou sighed out in relief, dismissing them as soon as possible. With a satisfied smile, the  tensai was off, showering and changing quickly enough that he was mostly dressed by the time the last regular even made it back.

“See you tomorrow." He spoke up softly, enjoying the flinches. It wasn’t because they were scared, they weren’t. It was more because he found their apprehension funny.

“Fuji-senpai... what are you going to do to Ri?" Echizen spoke up, blocking his way outside.  Kikumaru’s eyes widened, the last time someone had stopped Fuji from doing something he was actually interested in it had not ended well... for them.

“ Fujiko-chan ..." He spoke up, he did not want to see o- chibi traumatized by way of enraged Fuji.

“ Eiji , I see you have things well in hand." The  tensai pushed Echizen into the redhead’s arms, with an easy motion that belied the strength of that push.  Ryoma stumbled, before being caught by  Kikumaru . Fuji took that opportunity to escape.

“Nya, o- chibi , don’t get in his way when he’s serious.  Fujiko-chan ... can be scary." Oishi frowned. “ Eiji , Fuji would never hurt anyone." The cat-like boy shuddered, hugging  Ryoma tightly around the shoulders. He nearly wailed in response. “He doesn’t need  to, he just keeps teasing you until you are a permanently embarrassed wreck." Fuji was a genius at harmless yet irritating revenge.

Unless he was truly angry, the girls who had pushed  Yuuta into changing schools had never returned to  Seigaku after Fuji had a little... chat with them.

Kawamura spoke up shyly. “You don’t need to worry Echizen.  Fujiko-chan seems fond of  Hariel -chan. He won’t do anything to her."  Ryoma sighed, but they were probably right. The other menace was fiercely protective of his little sister and it was likely that Fuji would end up being the same.  Hariel just pulled people into her orbit.

Outside, Fuji glanced up at the sky, it was a warm summer day. Stripping of his jacket, he rolled up his sleeves, he wasn’t blind. He had seen the effect it had on the green-eyed girl the last time he did that and he liked seeing his own attraction reflected in her.

Hariel was leaning against the gates, green eyes twinkling up at him. He liked the fact that she was quickly becoming bolder in his presence. He had yet to see her so open and fearless with other people, except perhaps her family.

Offering his arm to escort her, he smiled down at he as she gently set her hand on his skin. “What did you want to ask?" She was curious. Fuji looked down at her serenely. “Saa, Hariel-chan... let’s go get ice-cream." She looked a little confused, but willing to go along.

He whisked her away from school before any of the other regulars could appear. He did not want to share her attention any more than necessary. He was well aware that he could be possessive, and made no excuses for it. Unlike most people Fuji tended to live in awareness off all his flaws.

Stroking the inside of her wrist idly, he was delighted by the mild shiver he could detect in her. Whimsically they discussed several subjects, delighted to discover that they had a lot in common. Art was a favourite subject between them. 

Fuji taught her a few things about photography, technical details common to all types of art. It contrasted in interesting ways with  Hariel’s explanations, since she was completely self-taught, discovering most techniques and details by accident. Something which just wasn’t possible with a camera.

Within a few minutes they had  ar rived at the park. Fuji bought her an ice-cream. Not allowing her to protest at all. “ Hariel , I asked you to come here, the least I can do is pay. I don’t mind at all, don’t worry so much about it."

She blinked up at him and then elected to let it go, contently leaning against his powerful slender frame as she licked her ice-cream contently. Fuji, enjoying the way she seemed simply happy to spend time with him, pulled her into his lap once they found an empty bench.

Hariel giggled, then swung around to straddle him instead of leaning sideways against him. She liked being able to look him in the eye, and she loved that he never hid his eyes from her. “So, what was the question, Syusuke-san?" She asked impishly stealing a lick from his own cone. His free hand wound around her hip, squeezing roughly as if in reprimand. She merely hummed in enjoyment, she liked it when he touched her. 

“Yes, I wanted to ask if you would feel comfortable if I came with you so you can shop for clothing. You wanted to go right?" She nodded mutely. “I don’t mind, but won’t store owners make it awkward? Wouldn’t it be boring for you?"

He shrugged loosely. “No matter what type of dress or skirt you want to try on, I don’t really mind. Fabric can be an interesting background for photographs so I wouldn’t get bored at all."  Hariel blinked. “Oh, okay then." He smiled gently, placing a cold kiss on the tip of her nose.  Hariel seemed to enjoy contact and accepted any and all contact from him happily.

She didn’t seem to notice or care that their interactions were straying into... romantic territory.

Slender clever fingers slipped below her t-shirt, sliding over her skin to leave trails of heat in their wake.  Hariel hummed low in her throat, like a great cat rumbling in pleasure. Spotting a small drip of ice-cream dripping over his fingers she leaned forward and licked it off him. Fuji inhaled sharply at the feeling over her hot tongue swiping over his knuckles. 

“You are playing with fire, angel." He said silkily, lower than usual and with a vague hint of threat.  Hariel never did react like other people, and she made eye contact as she leaned over to lick a broad stripe over his ice-cream cone again.

Sharp blue eyes narrowed as he looked at the beautiful imp in his lap. He promptly scooped up a finger of ice-cream and smeared it over her tempting neck. She shrieked with giggles at the cold treat sliding down her skin.

Then he leaned over, licking the melting ice-cream from her skin. Her giggles quieted abruptly as she moaned softly, almost more a sigh, as she felt his hot tongue sliding over her skin.

He wrapped a pale arm around her waist, pulling her impossibly closer. He followed the sticky trail down the side of her neck. Catching the last of the drip he had caused himself, he bit her very softly. “There, your punishment, imp." He smirked at her flushed face.

Tucking a lock behind her ear he buried his hand into her hair, it was quickly becoming one of his, and her, favourite things to feel and do. He kissed her below her red-tipped ear and then calmly whispered in her ear. “You taste good,  Hariel -chan." She moaned, embarrassed and feeling strangely flushed, heat curling in her stomach.

She couldn’t look him in the face as she finished her ice-cream sitting quietly on his lap. Fuji  chuckled, her red face was endearing. It was cute to see her so shy. She hid her face in the crook of his neck as soon as her ice-cream was gone.

He kept his arm around her waist, slowly he slid his fingers below her t-shirt again.  Hariel shivered against him as she felt his fingers trailing over the bare skin of her waist again. “S- Syusuke ....-san....." She nearly whimpered. “Hmm?" He asked, deliberately clueless. 

The petite witch shivered under his ministrations, clinging to his shoulders. Ice cold lips were pressed against her forehead again, the loving gesture settling something inside of her. He made her feel so welcome, even if he teased her. 

With his ice-cream gone as well, he twined slender strong fingers through her curls again. Her lips skimmed over his skin delicately as she spoke up again. “I like it when you pull on my hair." Implied was that she trusted him not to hurt her while he did.

He slowly dragged his hands through her curls, enjoying the way her soft hair disappeared through his fingers like silk ribbons.

Eventually she sighed. “I don’t know how I am going to manage going to  Seigaku ." Ashamed of her reaction, she refused to lift her head, only  smushing her face harder against his warm skin. Her mumbled words nearly disappearing against his skin.

“Will you be okay with the usual class size?" He asked softly. To distract her he cheerfully abused his newfound confirmation of her weakness. Twining pale fingers through her hair, he pulled her hair on her hair, clenching his hand into a fist to keep a certain amount of tension on the soft strands. Enough to claim her attention, but always staying behind the line of pain. 

He tilted her face up so that he could meet her shiny eyes. Warm palms caressed her cheeks as his thumbs softly wiped away the tears which were slowly spilling over.

She bit her lip, utterly missing the way his gaze zeroed in on the abused flesh. “I think so? It should be fairly quiet right? Half the problem is the  noise I think. That and the people come too close." 

Fuji hummed thoughtfully while he idly enjoyed the heat of her skin under his fingers. “You can stay in your classroom during the lunch-hour, or you can meet up with Echizen on the roof as soon as the main crowd disperses. If you arrive early you should be able to reach the classroom before any crowd appears. After school you can wait out the crowds as well."

Hariel nodded, reassured by the way he had solved her issue fairly easy. “Thanks, that... maybe I can do this." She smiled at him, a radiant expression. 

“It’s no problem.” Sharp blue eyes captured and held her gaze. “I think that you are brave, confronting your fears.” She frowned. “I feel weak. I lived within a hostile boarding school for weeks, why would I only develop a fear of crowds now...”

Fuji frowned, he didn’t like the implications, a boarding school would mean that she’d never been safe from bullies. “The mind is a strange thing, sometimes we only start to react when we leave the situation that forced us into survival mode in the first place. Like soldiers having difficulties adapting to a civilian life style.”

She hummed, rubbing her cheek over his skin. Her magic was spiralling around him, it was really distracting. Her magic was always active, and she’d always been uncommonly sensitive to magical currents, but this was... excessive even for her.

Hot dense, intense waves of power were clinging to the slender boy,  possessively almost.

“Can I see the pictures again?” She was interested in the way he saw the world, and photography said a great deal about the photographer as well, if you knew how to look.

Fuji nodded, a warm hand squeezing her upper thigh before he retrieved his phone from his pocket.  Hariel took the offered device after he unlocked it, swiping through the photographs. The first one she saw was a partial shot of her own face. The colour settings had been slightly exaggerated, giving her ebony hair, her lip stained with bloody red and showing a sliver of her face, one intensely sad dark green eye visible.

“I look like a princess from an old fairy tale, the kind that ends in tragedy.” She commented, fascinated by the way he had manipulated the colours.

“I could make an argument for calling you princess.” Fuji teased lightly. In truth he was slightly nervous that she wouldn’t like his photos.

“It’s beautiful.” She murmured. “You are beautiful.” Was whispered softly in her ear in response. Hariel flushed bright red. “I-I meant the way you created the atmosphere, it’s dramatic, but not overdone.” He smiled serenely. “It’s a fine line, but your colours lend themselves well to dark fairy tale aesthetics.”

She swiped to the next photo. He had taken one of her face as she smiled looking out over the river. It held a hint of sadness, mixed with joy. It was a fascinating study in contradictions. The water bright and blue, her hair a different shade of blue, as if the edges could just bleed out into the river. This one taken before she bit herself hard enough to bleed, lips pale pink and eyes light green.

“You are very talented.” She remarked slowly. “I’m only capturing the way I see you  Hariel -chan.” Shyly she skipped to the next photograph. It was the one she had taken of him. She was glad that he had taken the time to create a better picture from her  amateur attempt.

He had reframed it, cutting of parts of the scenery and his legs as well. His sprawled out upper body and the look on his face were now the centre of the photo. He had merely brushed up the colours, but otherwise he had left the picture the way she had taken it.

She was entranced by the intense blue gaze, the clear amusement and the relaxed posture. He looked happy, because of her. A slim pale finger trailed down the phone screen. “Beautiful.” She whispered without thinking about it. Fuji smirked down at her, using his grip on her hair to manipulate her into facing him.

“It’s a good photograph, you have talent.” He stated seriously. Not many people could manage the light settings that intuitively. “If you ever become interested in photography, I can teach you whatever you want to know. The offer is always there.” He offered seriously, mostly because he wanted to spend time with the  mischievous strong broken girl, but also because she had genuine talent.

She swiped to the next photo, stunned slightly at what she saw. He glanced down to see which one she was at and then hummed. “That one is my personal favourite.” He explained slowly. “If you allow it, I would love to add all of these photos of you to my portfolio, but this one would make the biggest impact.”

The image was of her, a smile on her lips, fiery green eyes almost glowing and hair spread around her in a dark halo. She looked... beautiful. With soft pink cheeks and subtle blue highlights dancing over her ebony hair, she was made up of intense colours and her expression was... natural. She could almost believe that she was pretty like this. 

Hariel had never particularly cared about the way she looked, beyond seeing the links to her parents. She knew objectively that she was... pretty enough, symmetry was attractive to humans, or so Hermione had said. She had never seen it for herself though, she’d spend too long hearing her aunt rant about her poison-eyes, unnatural blue curls and strange paper-white skin to be able to see it. Looking at this photograph was almost like she was seeing herself through Fuji’s eyes and she became... beautiful.

“You can... you can use them, just don’t mention my name. I never want to become even remotely famous. The taste I had of it was horrific.” She eventually said. Then she looked him straight in the eye, and that would never not be amazing for him. People usually flinched away from his intense gaze. “Thank you. I look... beautiful, to you, and now I can see myself like that too.” She said shyly.

Fuji tugged the phone from her slack hands, pocketing it before hugging her almost too tight. The pressure was soothing for her though, he wasn’t treating her like a glass doll.

“You are beautiful, and I’m glad I could help you see it.” He replied thoughtfully.

* * *

Hariel almost floated inside after Fuji walked her home. He had promised to print copies for her, and a larger version of the one photo she took as well. She was still blushing at the realisation that he truly saw her as stunning, but the photos left no doubt.

The memory of his tongue gliding over her skin rose up unbidden and she turned beet red. “Why are you blushing Ri?”  Ryoma asked stoically. Her adopted brother had snuck up on her, or rather walked up to her while she wasn’t paying attention. 

“N-No reason.” She squeaked out. “Okay...” He stated in disbelief. “Do you want to play a match?” He asked, as eagerly as the introverted boy ever got. She nodded. “Just let me get changed first.” He nodded.

She climbed the stairs in a hurry, changing into a black t-shirt and shorts. Taking a moment to stare at her, truthfully quit sad wardrobe made her glad that she had agreed to go shopping for clothes with Fuji. Other girls would probably be more comfortable going with a girl but she didn’t have any friends who happened to be girls here in Japan, and she trusted him. It was not a problem for her, if she could trust him with her scars, then she could handle him seeing her in different outfits.

She wanted to find her own style, and desperately wanted to burn everything Aunt Petunia had ever bought for her to hide her shamefulness. Her aunt had made it very clear that the only reason she had been given these clothes was in the vague hope that other people wouldn’t realize her... freakishness.

Deciding to ignore the painful memories for now, she ran back down the stairs. Picking up her racket she followed Ryoma out onto the court.

“Match, or training?” She asked curiously. She didn’t mind either, but if he wanted a full out  match she would need to warm up first. She’d never dishonour him by not bringing her a-game.

“Training is fine.” He said dismissively.  Hariel merely grinned at him, his fierce golden eyes were burning and she had his full attention. It might sound cold to anybody else but  Hariel was well aware that  Ryoma was just a stoic brat. She would never want him to change.

Ryoma started off with his usual twist-serve.  Hariel was more than ready, but  Ryoma only grinned wider. It was always interesting to play against other tennis players who could force him to improve.

The two  Echizens rallied, both fast and precise. The power in this match was of a higher level then could usually be found in middle schoolers, but ultimately, the Japanese Middle School tennis scene was almost obscenely talented this year.

Hariel’s eyes sharpened, like both  Ryoma and Kikumaru, she had a form of motion vision. The ability to see sharper and clearer than most. Tracking fast moving objects was easy for them.

Thinking back on her match with Fuji,  Hariel focussed. She wasted a few shots, causing the ball to merely drop or go out but eventually, racket held delicately she hit the sweet spot.

Ryoma’s eyes widened as the ball hit the ground... and crawled further. “ Tsubame ...  Gaeshi ....” He whispered, stunned. He had known that  Hariel had played a match against the  tensai but for her to be able to copy the move after only playing against him once was...

His sister was dangerous. She had the talent and the drive to go far in tennis.

“Hmm.”  Hariel twisted her racket, mind filled with angles. “The calculation and spatial awareness needed for this are... incredibly high. I don’t think I could easily do this in an actual match.” She admitted brightly.

Ryoma smirked. “Mada  Mada Dane.”

Hariel’s sharp eyes narrowed. As  Ryoma got ready to serve again she started bouncing, tracking his moves with pinpoint accuracy.

She easily hit the twist-serve back again and the second  Ryoma was moving to hit the ball back she was already moving. A rally between two users of the one-footed split step could go on for a long time. There was nowhere on either side of the court that the ball couldn’t be reached like this.

Ultimately  Ryoma had to improve, because he was aware that he couldn’t outlast  Hariel . For her age, and especially her gender, she had insane stamina.

They weren’t keeping track, but Hariel was working on mastering Tsubame Gaeshi, while Ryoma was working on his speed. For that the petite witch was his ideal opponent, because she was a speed-demon.

She’d never hit the most powerful shots, but she was so fast and agile that it hardly mattered.

Eventually  Ryoma seemed to have a breakthrough, she could almost see him glowing gold as he started hitting faster. He was using his senses to hit the ball exactly where she would have the hardest time reaching it, controlling the space easily. 

Both teenagers were panting when they collapsed on the temple steps together. “You’ve grown.”  Hariel stated happily, she never resented it when he outgrew her. She was always happy to help him,  Hariel didn’t seem to have a jealous or resentful bone in her body. At the moment they were on equal ground, but they changed lead between them regularly.

Ryoma smirked. “You should play against Fuji-senpai at school. I would love to see everyone’s shocked reaction if you use Tsubame Gaeshi. Especially his.” His golden eyes twinkled at the thought of getting one over the resident sadist. Hariel hummed. “I might, Syusuke-san would certainly enjoy it. He seems to have a... dislike of sexist people. He loves and respects his older sister. It’s cute.” 

Ryoma hummed in question.  Hariel , able to read his expression easily, clarified. “I broke the record, when I was running laps with  Syusuke -san. There were a lot of boys who were shocked. Most likely because I’m a girl.”  Ryoma nodded in understanding. With  Hariel around since the tender age of five, he had been raised with the awareness that girls were in no way less.

In the last couple of  years they’d grown up enough that the difference in inherent strength between males and females was becoming obvious, but right along with it  Hariel’s durability was growing as well. She could simply take more punishment, she was also faster.

“Are you going to incorporate Tsubame Gaeshi in your style?” Ryoma asked curiously. Hariel shook her head. “No, I rely mostly on vision and instinct. I’m a tactical player, but when I move, I trust my body. That shot is difficult and you need on the spot calculations. It would break my focus too much to manage it.”

She looked at the slowly setting sun for a moment, basking in the golden light and her brother’s company. Magic dancing around him in slow easy spirals. 

“It’s a lovely shock tactic though. Syusuke-san has a reputation, and his counters are a part of that.” Ryoma snickered, it was just like  Hariel to appreciate a difficult tennis move mostly for the pranking and mental pressure potential it had.

Karupin hopped into  Ryoma’s lap suddenly.  Hariel smiled at the familiar, petting his soft fur slowly.  Ryoma felt a sharp pain at the sadness that still lingered in her eyes whenever she saw his familiar. She still missed Hedwig fiercely, loving  Karupin sometimes only poured salt into that jagged wound.

Subconsciously her small hand clasped the white glass-encased feather which she never took off. “You know... I think Hedwig would be mad at me if I never even try to find another familiar.” She admitted out of nowhere. A sad smile curled around the corners of her mouth as she kept gliding her hand over Karupin’s admittedly soft fur. 

“She was always really overprotective of me.” She snickered slightly. “Sometimes I think she thought I was her small  defenceless baby chick or something.”

Ryoma nodded in amusement. He had seen Hedwig and  Hariel together only once, but the way the fierce avian had preened the then even smaller witch had been cute. “Hedwig was pretty stubborn that way.” He said, amused.  Hariel smiled. “Yeah, she was amazing.”  Ryoma nodded softly.

Hariel sighed. “If I find a compatible familiar, I guess I should try not to run away before we even have a chance at a bond.” She said slowly.  Ryoma nodded slowly. “You don’t need to be able to allow another familiar into your heart now.” He murmured slowly, absently gliding his hand over  Karupin’s spine. “I think trying to be open to the option is more than enough for now.”

Hariel sighed, taking another sip of her water. “Yeah... yeah I guess so.”

* * *

“Siri..." She called out happily, her grey-eyed godfather looked healthy and maybe even, not happy but at least content. She rambled about how she had been running, and all the new moves she learned in tennis. 

The wizard smiled at his baby girl indulgently. It was good to see her so happy, like a normal teenager. Sirius was glad that she could still feel so intensely.  Hariel had a rough past and not everybody came out of things like that with their feelings as intact as she appeared to be.

She really was a miracle, a tiny powerful wonderful child.

“... and then I set a new record, even though I’m not a part of their club. All the guys looked shocked.  Syusuke -san was amused, he despises sexism, I think. It’s great." At that, the Black male laughed. “That’s good fawn, I like that he doesn’t need to be taught that girls are amazing. He sounds like a prankster...”

Hariel hummed. “I don’t think he pulls practical jokes like the marauders or anything, but he does tease people and he creates funny misunderstandings for his own amusement."

Sirius snorted. “Someone after my own heart then.”  Hariel glowed, ecstatic at his easy acceptance of the boy she was already so attached to.

It might look strange from a different point of view, but Sirius had grown up around a bonded pair. They just fit, made each other better and balanced each other out. James and Lily were amazing when they worked in tandem, and he wanted the same for her.

* * *

“ Hariel-chan , your new uniform is here.”  Rinko called the next day. Hariel, still in her pyjama's blinked at her blearily from over her breakfast. “Uhuh.”

Rinko chuckled, tenderly combing her daughter’s unruly curls into a semblance of order. “It’s the boy's uniform, and... you’ll be a second year.”

Hariel blinked up at her, not truly computing her words. She’d had another nightmare, this time her mind had substituted her mother in Hedwig’s place. The image was burned into her retina, even though she knew it wasn’t real. The beautiful redhead whom she’d only seen in pictures had been pinned to the ground in the snow, red drip  drip dripping from the grievous wounds. Red hair a mockery of fire spread out over pure white ice.

“I... what? I only tested into first  year right?” She asked, confused.  Rinko shook her head. “When it became clear that you were acing the entire first year curriculum with ease, they tested you for second year material as well. You are actually a few months ahead.”

“Ah... ok. That’s... uhm, good.” She mumbled in a daze. She couldn’t seem to shake her nightmare. She had texted  Kaidoh to let him know that she wasn’t feeling well earlier. She never liked admitting defeat and she felt ashamed, but this was just not her day.

She could keep going for far longer than most, used as she was to sleep deprivation and hunger. The terror and the pain from her nightmare just weren’t relinquishing their grip on her though. The image of her mom and the sound of her screams just kept floating in her mind. 

Rinko frowned.  Hariel had been tired and listless the whole morning. She hadn’t gone running, she hadn’t even changed out of her  pyjama's yet. “ Hariel -chan... are you alright?” She asked concerned, as she watched the small Tennis player play with her food.

Hariel , drained and sad laid her head against  Rinko’s hip. Listlessly she tilted over into her mother’s side, unseen Rinko frowned. “I had... a nightmare.” She eventually whispered.

“My... my mom was in Hedwig’s place and I just... can’t get the image out of my mind.” She murmured lowly. “Hari-love... what actually happened to Hedwig?” She didn’t want to open up painful wounds, but maybe Hariel needed to talk to someone about this.

Slowly the whole sorry tale spilled out of her, as if pulled from her. Hariel was a blubbering mess, and Rinko softly patted her soft hair, rubbing her back slowly. “Oh sweetheart... I’m so sorry you’ve been carrying this all alone.” Hariel hiccupped, tears still trailing down her high cheekbones.

“I just... I just miss her so much  kaa -chan.” She admitted lowly.  Rinko pressed a loving kiss to her forehead. “I know. We all miss her to. She was a lovely companion.” The woman said slowly. The snowy owl had been a regular visitor of their household ever since Hariel received her as a present. The fierce owl had been funny, clucking over Ryoma and managed to mother the brat even though she couldn’t talk. 

Hariel silently pressed her face more  firmly against  Rinko’s side. Tired and overwhelmed by the recounting of Hedwig’s death.

“Eat your breakfast sweetheart.”  Rinko said, sometime later, when  Hariel’s shoulders had finally stopped shaking. Coughing slightly to get rid of the closed up feeling in her throat Hariel nodded, red-rimmed eyes seemingly brightening slowly.

“I can take you to the hospital. I’ve been meaning to meet your tutor for some time now. Yukimura- kun sounds like a good friend.”  Hariel nodded. “Senpai is amazing.” She  smiled, she wasn’t sure what she would do without him. She’d never had someone in her life whom she could talk to so easily.

She trusted  Ryoma and loved him wholeheartedly, but Yukimura just... understood her, as if at their too old cracked cores they were... the same.

“Got get dressed then. I’ll wait here.”  Rinko states kindly, watching her daughter run out of the room. She had come a long way.

* * *

Hariel dressed in  Nanjirou’s old t-shirt, red and black. She needed that feeling of safety today. Pairing it with white shorts, she picked up her sketchbook and her phone. She wouldn’t need to study today. She dashed down the stairs. Rinko was standing at the door, dressed for work and holding a bundle of paper. 

She gently ushered  Hariel to the car. Dropping her things into the booth, she pulled out of the driveway, Hariel seated right beside her.

“ So. .. what is Yukimura- kun like? You told me that he was sick, and that he tutors you, but somehow I haven’t heard much other than that.”  Rinko mused slowly. Her job often kept her very busy, and times like this she felt a pang of regret.

“Well, senpai is the captain of  Rikkai Dai’s Tennis Team. He likes to garden.”  Rinko smiled at her quickly, before turning her eyes back to the road. “Just like you then.” She commented off-handed.  Hariel nodded happily. “His  imouto is a  muggleborn , so he reacted really cool to my revelation of being a witch.” She sighed softly, as if remembering her extreme tension. “I was so incredibly relieved.” She muttered lowly.

Rinko nodded. “That’s right,  Ryoga mentioned that he knew about you being a witch. I’m glad that telling him turned out so well Hari-dear.” The girl nodded shyly. “Yeah... so am I.”

Hariel rambled about her favourite  bluenette , and  Rinko nodded indulgently, happy that  Hariel was able to open up more now. It had taken months before she ever volunteered information without being asked first.

“So then, Seiichi-senpai explained why  Kirihara-kun thought I was insulting him by calling him a girl.”  Hariel frowned thoughtfully, pale pink lips forming a pout slowly. “I think I understand now, but I just do not agree. I really don’t like all these... prejudices based on genders.”

Rinko snorted. “As a female lawyer, I regret to tell you, it never gets better. There are always idiots who think that I must be easy to defeat in the court rooms simply because I am a woman. It is wrong, but what can you do...”

Hariel frowned harder, biting her lip angrily. “Anything a boy can  do, I can do better.” She muttered resentfully.  Hariel wasn’t exactly prone to fits of temper, but when she did get angry, she got  spectacularly angry. It seemed like the casual sexism that existed almost everywhere, always mild and always swept under the rug when exposed, was pissing her off.

“I believe in you,  Hariel .”  Rinko smiled at her, her fierce baby-girl.

* * *

Softly  Hariel knocked on Yukimura’s hospital door, almost shyly. “Come on in.” A melodious voice called softly.

Shoving open the door carefully,  Hariel entered the room,  Rinko slowly following her.

“Hey, Seiichi-senpai, this is my, my  kaa-chan , Echizen  Rinko .”  Hariel managed to introduce her with barely a hitch in her voice.

Yukimura didn’t get up, pale and weak-limbed as he was today, but he nodded politely. “It’s nice to meet you Echizen-san." He stated politely.

Rinko blinked, somehow this wasn’t what she expected. She didn’t know why... but she just hadn’t. Surprised, she watched as  Hariel climbed into the hospital bed as if she had done it a hundred times before. Her daughter pulled down his t-shirt, under  Rinko’s slowly widening eyes, and then she drew two  runes in thick violet lines over his collarbones. 

Yukimura’s strong hand weakly clenched around her petite hand. “Don’t overexert yourself, Hariel-chan.” He protested slowly. It was not one of his better days.

“I won’t, I didn’t draw anything for energy, this is just to block the pain.” She explained easily, finishing the last rune. With a soft spike in the light they emitted, the runes sank into his skin, and the tight lines around his eyes which spoke of pain eased.

“Thank you.” A soft kiss was pressed against her forehead, and  Hariel , her  Hariel , who still had so much difficulty with letting anyone close just leaned into his side, easily. Trusting even...

“So, Yukimura- kun . I heard that you tutored  Hariel in second year material as well.”  Rinko commented almost awkwardly, for a split-second she had felt like the outsider in the room.  Hariel blinked at her sleepily, and the moment went away. It was obvious that the two teens were tightly bonded but she was still Hariel’s mother.

“She’s very clever.” Yukimura commented mildly. “Seiichi-senpai is a very good tutor. He never gets mad at me, and he’s always patient when he explains new concepts to me.”  Hariel commented happily, unaware that she was giving them a painful glimpse into her old life. Yukimura frowned slightly. “All teachers and tutors should be patient so long as their student is trying. You always try very hard  Hariel -chan.” He smiled at her kindly, ruffling her long hair. “You’ve been a very good student.”

Hariel blushed, a rosy flush high on her cheeks, shyly she glanced away. “Thank you.” She eventually said softly. “Yes, thank you for tutoring my daughter Yukimura- kun .”  Rinko thanked him seriously, going as far as to bow in respect. This boy had helped her daughter heal from wounds they couldn’t help her with and she was grateful.

The navy-haired boy shook his head. “Don’t thank me, I was happy not to be alone after all.”  Hariel curled into his side happily, always happy to cuddle with him. Her magic sank into him and bonded them ever tighter. Despite the fact that her bond with Fuji was likely going to be very strong, and fairly soon as well if things continued this way, right now this was the strongest bond she had.

It didn’t mean she loved any of her other friends and her family less.

“Well, it was nice to meet you, Yukimura- kun . You are always welcome to come over for dinner if you’d like.” He nodded happily, glad that she was so accepting of him. “Thank you Echizen-san, it was nice to meet you as well.” She nodded kindly. “Hari-dear, I have to go now. You can walk back or call Ryoga.” “Okay kaa-chan. Thanks for bringing me.” “It was no problem dear.”

With a final round of  goodbyes, the lawyer left, the door clicking shut behind her softly.

“Your mom seems nice.” The violet-eyed boy commented slowly.  Hariel nodded happily. “Yeah,  kaa-chan is pretty amazing.” Yukimura snorted, tickling her sides until she was a giggling panting mess in his lap. “So are you, you know.” She blushed. “I... thanks. I can’t... see it myself, but thank you.”

He sighed, reeling her in easily. “All in good time I suppose.” 

Her phone played a piano melody.  Hariel blushed, that was Fuji’s ringtone after all. Fishing her cell phone out of her pocket, she unlocked the smartphone. She read the message silently.

Then she blushed bright red. Yukimura curiously watched her face. “Oh... is that from Fuji?” He asked, smirking slightly. She nodded slowly. “I uh... yeah. He’s been...” She bit her lip, face bright red. Yukimura smiled at her. “You really like him.” He stated, like it was a fact.  Hariel merely nodded, unable to deny it,  at least with him.

“He texted to ask me when I’m free to go shopping. I mentioned off-handed that I’d like to experience that girly event at least once.” She shrugged loosely. “Syusuke-san knows that I don’t have any female friends here. He offered to come with me. I... still only have second-hand clothes or...”

Her throat closed up, and it felt like she was admitting something worse than merely stupid clothes. Most people who knew her realised that she didn’t come from the best back ground, but this  was.. More than implying, it was flat out admitting that her relatives had hated her.

And she still felt like that was her fault...

“Clothes my aunt bought me. To cover up my freakishness.” She bit out sharply, tears gathering in the corners of her eyes.

Yukimura’s violet eyes widened, and then narrowed angrily. To tell something like that to anybody, much less a child in your care... A lot of things about the tiny girl curled into his side suddenly made a horrifying amount of sense.

He had  suspicions before, that her homelife hadn’t been happy. This... proved that it was likely worse.

“ Hariel -chan...” He whispered, speechless. What was there to say. “You are not a freak. You are a smart, strong, amazing girl. I am so happy that you came into my life.” He told her, violet eyes burning fiercely.  Hariel smiled at him, a watery expression which was still filled with more joy then should be possible.

“I believed them, for a long time. When my Hogwarts letter  came I was so happy. I thought that I belonged in the magical world.” She sighed. “I don’t think you ever heard my full story. I am...” She snorted bitterly, angry, glimmers of hate burning in her suddenly poison green eyes.

“I am famous. In the Wizarding World, they call me, it’s ridiculous, but they call me the Girl-Who-Lived.” She frowned. “I despise that name, as if the night I lived wasn’t also the night my parents died defending me. The night that destroyed any chance of a happy childhood.”

She told him, about the stone, the immense snake. About Voldemort possessing another student. The little sister of her once friend. About her innocent godfather and the rat who betrayed her parents. Further back, about the night the Dark Lord came for them. Of hearing her mother screaming.

Then, the murder she committed in self-defence, and the way nobody thought she might need help with that. The way her teacher had burned under her hands, driven to his death by her fear and the love of her mother.

Now that she was finally talking, the words wouldn’t stop, like a flood all of her horrible secrets left her. Yukimura remained calm, a steady strong shoulder to lean on. He was horrified, but there would be time for that later, she needed him.

The last few weeks at Hogwarts, being hated, hexed constantly. Of the death trap she had never wanted to be part of, nobody believing her. Finally, the way she had found Hedwig. Her beloved familiar, pinned to the ground in a mockery of flight, her wings stained with crimson. Her glassy golden eyes, so empty...

Then after all of the horrifying events during her school years, quieter, she whispered about her cupboard. About never being good enough. Being hunted, always ostracized. Never getting to make friends without Dudley driving them away. Of Aunt Petunia and her hateful words, of the tiny scars she still had from the burning oil when she was forced to learn how to cook, only six years old.

Of an uncle who would scream at her, and sometimes smack her. Of the fear that one day he would do more. Of a cousin who was encouraged to hate her, and who followed his parents blindly, beating her up until she had blood in the corners of her mouth and ribs which were always cracked.

Of the heat healing her, which she now realised her been her instinctive magic.

The hunger... worked for every scrap. She had been invisible or hated, called freak or girl, and never ever a person.

Yukimura pulled her into his lap, completely shielding her, as if he could still protect her from her past.  Hariel , drained but for once at peace curled into him trustingly.

“So now you know. I’m dangerous. Voldemort will return, and when he does, he will hunt me down to the ends of the earth.” She confessed lowly against his throat. He swallowed, anger and sadness warring in his chest. An arm tightening around her waist and a decision which would change their lives was made in a split second. “I don’t care.”

Violet met emerald. “I love  you, you know me. I know you. I can feel you sometimes.” He stated calmly. “I will never abandon you. You are mine.”

She sank back against him, all the tension leaving her wrought frame. “Thank you. I will never abandon you either, Seiichi.” Intense green eyes met his. “You are mine to protect, mine to love, and mine to help. I can’t offer much, but I am loyal, I have loyalty written in my bones.”

A soft kiss and a promise. “I will always be here Hariel.”

* * *

Tired but happy  Hariel hopped onto the back of  Ryoga’s motorcycle. “Homebound  chibi-chan ?” She nodded. She leaned against her older brother’s strong back and wondered. Would her family be in danger if she stayed? Could Voldemort even find her if Dumbledore couldn’t? Was he even back, and would he ever come back? She considered it likely, since he had already returned twice.

The rumbling of the engine and the steady warmth seeping into her made her feel even more tired. She let herself fall asleep, ignoring her spinning mind. There was nothing she could do at the moment.

She yawned when they pulled into the driveway.  Ryoga easily lifted the helmet from her head and when he saw her sleepy face, he snorted. Plucking her up easily, he swung her onto his back and walked to the house.

“I’m home.” He called out loudly. “And I brought chibi-chan.” “Ah Ryoga, bishoujo, welcome back.”  Nanjirou called back from the living room. “Welcome home  Ryoga -san,  Hariel -chan.” Nanako called softly, she was cooking in the kitchen if that smell was any indication.

Wrung out from the emotional outpouring  Hariel just slumped further into Ryoga’s back, passively allowing him to cart her around. 

“Dinner will be soon.” Nanako said kindly, as she peeked around the corner of the kitchen.  Ryoga nodded, carefully dropping  Hariel into a kitchen chair. He ruffled her hair softly, as she slumped over onto the table.

As the rest of the family started setting the table, and  Rinko send  Nanjirou to fetch  Ryoma from his room,  Hariel dozed away. She drifted peacefully in the middle of the hustle and bustle.

A pale finger poked her cheek softly. “ Hariel , it’s dinner time.”  Ryoma said softly. She blinked and hummed at him. Sitting up straight she tried to focus.  Karupin , who liked Nanako and  Hariel almost as much as  Ryoma easily jumped into her lap.

He knew better then to fish for food, he just butted his fluffy head against her chin. Hariel smiled, petting the cat softly in reward. “Thanks Karupin.” She murmured into his fur. The Himalayan cat purred softly, sprawling over her lap, rumbling soothingly against her stomach.

She grinned, cheered up by the feline’s easy faith in her. “I met Yukimura- kun today.”  Rinko mentioned to Nanjirou. “He seems like a really nice kid, I invited him to have dinner here sometime.” Ryoga nodded grudgingly. “I still think that he flirts too much with our chibi-chan, but I guess he is... okay.”

Ryoma cocked his head to the side golden cat eyes pinning  Hariel in place. “Ne,  Hariel . Are you okay?” Her eyes were ever so faintly red-rimmed and she was obviously exhausted. He always watched out for Hariel, if more unobtrusively then Ryoga tended to do.

She hummed. “I told Seiichi-senpai about, well about my past. It was hard, but I think he had the right to know. He’s knows me, and because of that he is in danger.” She said softly, looking at her pale knees carefully. Karupin, as if sensing her upset carefully rubbed his head against her clenched hands.

She smiled wanly, petting the fluffy cat softly. “How did Yukimura react?”  Ryoma asked sharply. She smiled shyly. “He was really nice, and fierce. Senpai can be just as stubborn as I am.” That impressed the family.  Hariel was generally easy going, but she had enough willpower to make other people pale in comparison.

Rinko patted her head gently. “I’m happy for you Hari-dear, that he treats you so well. It sounds like you have a really loyal friend in him.” Hariel nodded slowly. “I really do.” She agreed, sounding awed.

Ryoma’s heart ached, nobody should be that amazed for not being abandoned. 

* * *

Slanted and tiny,  Hariel’s writing appeared in slow thoughtful sentences. Luna and Hermione blinked at the long letter. “I’m glad that she’s going to school again soon. I hope she makes a lot of friends.” Hermione stated calmly, amber eyes riveted to the happy stories.

For so long  Hariel had talked about anything but her own life, that reading about her mishaps and high points was amazing. It meant that she had a life again. In a way that had been straight up impossible at Hogwarts.

‘ Hariel , please include drawings of all the people you meet. I’m very curious. I’ve been dreaming about a boy lately. I wonder if I really will get married in a silver dress.’ The witch in Japan blinked at the whimsical letters swirling over the page. Was Luna... going to marry someone from Japan? Just what had she been seeing?

She sighed, half-grinning in frustration. Talking to Luna was always interesting, she’d never been bored by the blonde. It was also mystifying, because she often mentioned things which would only start to make sense hours, days or even weeks later.


	11. Seishun Gakuen

Hariel opened her eyes on the morning of her first school day, and winced when she realised it was still dark out. Looking at her alarm clock, she groaned softly. Five o’clock, it was unlikely that she’d get anymore sleep today. 

Re-dressing quickly in shorts and a t-shirt she quietly made for the stairs. She could get in her early morning run. Hopefully a longer run would help against the anxiety bubbling in her stomach.

Feeding her ponytail through one of  Ryoma’s standard caps, she locked the door behind her setting off at a brisk pace. As she warmed up, she started running faster. It wasn’t all out sprinting, but it came close.

As she flashed down the roads, she felt lighter. She looked at the emerging sunlight, starting to filter over the horizon. Everything was bathed in a warm glow as the sun started burning away the black velvet of the night.

She would miss seeing the stars, but the dawn always felt like hope.

She was feeling a lot more peaceful by the time she made her way down to the river. “ Fsshhh ,  Hariel -chan.”  Kaidoh nodded in welcome, as she jogged up to him. “Good morning Kaoru- kun .” She greeted softly. She smiled at him gently. Eyes twinkling up at him brightly, pleased to see him.

“Are you ready?” To most he wound sound stoic, or grumpy, but  Hariel was well acquainted with him and heard the undertone of worry loud and clear. It hadn’t taken her long to learn how to read him. 

Sighing she nodded, then made a so-so gesture. “I think I’m ready, but I worry that the crowds might be hard to deal with.” He  nodded, her panic attack still fresh on his mind.

It was silent for only a small amount of time, and then he reached out to gently pat her arm. “You’ll be okay.” He said awkwardly, and  Hariel smiled up at him happily, reassured. He always had a kind word for her,  Kaidoh was a big softy under all  that grumpy awkward behaviour.

“How did you do on your test?” She grinned. “Very well apparently, I am a second year.” He smiled at her, eyes a darker mirror of her own emerald green, shining happily.

“ Fssshhh , good.” “Ne, Kaoru-kun, in what class are you?” “Two-seven.” He answered shortly. She nodded, grinning mischievously when he turned to go back to running. She just confirmed that she’d been assigned to his class as well. She followed him easily. In silence they finished their run together, no words needed.

“Thank you for being my friend.” She looked up at him with a soft smile. “I’m really glad that I met you.” He turned pink, blushing at the compliment and glancing away shyly.  Hariel refrained from grinning, finding him adorable. “Y-You too.” He stuttered, then waved and took off. 

Not offended at all, she finished her run. Opening the front door and trailing towards the kitchen she nearly jumped in surprise when she found her whole family at the kitchen table. “Good morning  bishoujo .”  Nanjirou greeted happily, jumping up to usher her into a seat. “We thought it would be nice to see you off together with Ryoma.” He explained, noticing her confused look.

Rinko smiled, taking of  Ryoma’s cap gently, before ruffling her hair. “Eat  Hariel .” She nodded, tucking into her food, a soft flutter of happiness squirming in her stomach. Her family was pretty great.

* * *

She frowned at her uniform. While it should fit well enough, she thought it looked a little weird with her curves. Sighing, she tugged off her jacket and white uniform shirt. She picked her tightest sports bra, flattening her bust almost completely. Redressing  quickly, she looked in the mirror at her now androgynous reflection.

Pinning up her hair in a low bun, which only added to the likely gender confusion she was creating by somewhat obscuring just how long her hair was she nodded in satisfaction. She didn’t pick this uniform because she wanted to cross dress, but  Hariel had long since stopped caring about what most people thought and she didn’t exactly mind being mistaken for a boy anyway.

It might keep her  somewhat safer, she had always thought that girls were the more dangerous ones. Boys sometimes got into fistfights, but words could cut a lot deeper.

Checking one last time that she was presentable, she gathered her schoolbag and left her room.

“Ah  Hariel , you look nice.”  Rinko complimented her lovingly. She grinned up at her mother, then hurried to join  Ryoma at the door to tug on her sneakers.

“By  tou-chan ,  kaa-chan ,  nii-san , Nanako-san.” She called out, and then she followed a still sleepy  Ryoma out of the door.  Momoshiro was already waiting for them, earlier than usual since he had been informed by  Ryoma that  Hariel would be joining them. They would go earlier so she could avoid the crowds. The easy going second year had merely nodded.

“Are you excited Echizen- chan ?” He asked easily. She shook her head. “No,  slightly nervous maybe.” She admitted gruffly. “Don’t worry Ri. I’ll find you at lunch time.”  Ryoma stated calmly. She smiled at her brother in relief.

“Oh, you didn’t get into Echizen’s class then? Too bad.” The amethyst-eyed power player stated, frowning mildly. It would have probably been easier for her to join Ryoma’s class.

Hariel nodded. “Hmm, too bad.” She echoed blankly. She didn’t mention that she would be joining as a second year. He’d find out soon enough.  Ryoma grinned slightly. Momo-senpai's reaction should be funny.

Soon enough their school rose up in front of them. Momo parked his bike, and together with the Echizen siblings he left his tennis equipment in the locker rooms.  Hariel didn’t fancy dragging around all of her sports equipment.

Hariel calmly  followed the two bickering regulars as they made their way to the main building. She waved subtly at  Ryoma when he split off on the first floor to go the first-year classrooms. Silently she followed Momo up the stairs. 

The brunet squawked in surprise when he noticed his tiny shadow. “Echizen- chan , what are you doing here?” She blinked up at him innocently, and then pointed to the two stripes stamped on the collar of her uniform. “ Ehhhh ?! You are a second year? Aren’t you younger than Echizen?” She nodded. “By about half a year.” She admitted freely.

Confused the second-year tennis player blinked at her. “How come you aren’t a first year then?” He asked bluntly.  Hariel nearly giggled, he was  more funny then rude. “I had a really good tutor.” She stated with a soft smile on her face.

“ Ohhkay ...” He still didn’t quite get it. “Do you need me to point you to your classroom?” She blinked up at him mildly shocked by the easy offer. “Uhm, please? I am in two-seven.” He nodded. “So you are joining  mamushi’s class then.” She nodded.

They walked down the hall together, more people were showing up, but this way she could still handle it. Pointing to the door one classroom further Momo spoke up again. “That is your classroom. This one is mine. I’ll see you later Echizen-chan. I hope you have a good day.” Her eyes softened, for all that he was loud and slightly overwhelming, he was a nice guy. “ Thanks Momo-senpai.” “Eh, you are a second year as well, call me Momo-chan.” He called back cheerfully. She snorted. “Alright, Momo-chan.”

* * *

Hariel waited with baited breath. She had been sent to the teacher’s room when her new homeroom teacher had found her. She had been given a welcome speech by the woman and then she was told to wait in front of the classroom until she was called. 

Tanaka  Ichika was a woman in her early thirties. She had a severe bob line her hair was black and her eyes were dark grey. Over all she gave off the impression that she was a stern but fair teacher.  Hariel already liked her better than most professors she ever had, because this lady treated her kindly and best of all, normally.

“Ah, Echizen-san you can come in now.” “Hai, Tanaka-sensei.” She murmured shyly. She followed the woman and saw that her name had been written on the blackboard. “Class, Echizen-san has recently taken the admission tests, due to personal reasons Echizen-san was home-schooled up until recently.”

Tanaka turned to her new student. “Go on, introduce yourself.” The order was stated kindly.  Hariel swallowed nervously. “Nice to meet you. My name is Echizen  Hariel . Please take care of me.” She bowed politely. Several girls giggled.  Hariel was a foreign name, and so most people in her class mistook her as a boy because of her uniform. 

“You can sit next to Kaidoh-san.” She nodded towards the empty seat at the back of the classroom, next to the window. “Kaidoh-san please raise your hand.” Hariel nearly giggled, his stunned look when he realised she was in his class was pretty funny. He did raise his hand in a daze, which felt silly because Hariel knew perfectly well who he was. “Will you help Echizen-san get used to Seishun Gakuen?” He nodded mutely.

The lesson started, and  Hariel sighed in relief when it turned out to be English. She frowned when she heard several whispers. “Do you think  Hariel-kun is related to Ryoma-kun? He’s so cute.” One of the girls giggled. Hariel had sharp ears, but right now she wished she was somewhat deaf. This was awkward...

“Poor Echizen, being stuck with  Kaidoh as a guide.” One of the boys in front of them muttered to his neighbour.  Hariel frowned at his back, rude. She glanced at  Kaidoh , but he seemed mostly unaffected.  So. .. either he didn’t care, or this was such a regular  occurrence that he had learned to hide the hurt.

She hoped it was the first, but it was likely the second. Another boy replied to the first idiot, shivering theatrically. “Yeah, had bad luck being stuck with that mamushi, he’s scaaaary.” 

Arsenic poison green eyes narrowed. Well, she already knew who she did not want to become friends with. She didn’t like people who were unkind for no reason, she had too often been the victim of rumours and hear-say herself.

Electing to ignore all the rumours flying around, she settled in to try and doze through English. There was nothing the teacher could teach her there. Tanaka-sensei frowned when she spotted the girl staring out of the window, but she had her book open and honestly there was nothing she could realistically teach the girl in English. When the next lesson  started she was pleased to notice that the girl did pay attention.

The first few lessons flew by in a haze of gossip.  Hariel was stunned to find out that the class really was months behind her, but also glad because adjusting was hard enough without academic work.

This way she could focus on just getting used to coming school instead of having to deal with homework about new material. As soon as the bell rang, most people left. “Fsshhh, will Echizen look for you?” Kaidoh asked frowning when he saw the many girls starting to gather around Hariel. The girl flinched almost imperceptibly. 

He glared at the giggling mass, and they scattered, frowning and muttering about how scary he was.  Hariel frowned, she knew he did it for her and she was grateful but she didn’t want to be the reason for their classmates alienating him even further. She knew that it hurt to be ostracized, even if he likely didn’t mind too much. 

The combination of introverted and shy meant that he hit his quota for human interaction fairly soon. That he seemed so grumpy just made it worse.

Kaidoh, spotting her frown merely walked over, softly patting her shoulder, shocking their now shared class.

“Does he know  Kaidoh ?” “I’ve never seen the  mamushi friendly with anyone not on the Regular team.” “Wow, the new guy must have nerves of steel, he didn’t even flinch when Kaidoh approached him.”

Hariel flinched, she hated rumours. Scooping up her bag and  Kaidoh’s quickly, she grasped his hand and escaped with him out of the door.

“Ah,  Hariel .”  Ryoma stated as she bumped into him right outside the classroom. “Roof?” The shortest Regular asked stoically.  Hariel nodded, keeping a hold of  Kaidoh’s hand just because it was grounding and safe. He didn’t seem to mind which made her sigh in relief. They walked after the first year, following him onto the empty roof.

Hariel only let go of  Kaidoh when she reached an isolated corner, there she curled up in a tiny ball, shoving her head between her knees and trying to regulate her breathing.

Kaidoh and  Ryoma exchanged panicked glances, wanting to help her but not knowing how. The door opened once more to allow Fuji, Oishi and Kikumaru onto the roof. “Fuji-senpai...” Ryoma spoke up, gesturing uncertainly to Hariel’s curled up form. 

The  tensai frowned minutely, shoving his bag into  Kikumaru’s arms he approached the curled up second year slowly. “ Hariel -chan...” He stated softly, ignoring her startled flinch at the sound of his voice. He sat down beside her, pulling her out of her defensive posture easily. She shook slightly as she ended up sprawled over his lap. He hummed soothingly and he felt her relax as she realised who was patting her hair.

Exhausted from the near panic-attack she relaxed against him. Feeling her relax he manhandled her into sitting up, back against his chest. The tension in her tiny frame only dropped further when strong arms wound around her waist, while his chin hooked over her shoulder.

“Eat your lunch, angel.” The  tensai told her, an order implied in the soft words. She nodded slowly, accepting her bento which Kaidoh was holding out for her.

“T-Thanks. Sorry.” She mumbled shyly, unnerved and out of her comfort-zone. She didn’t like showing weakness.

“Saa, you are doing so well today. You should be proud.” The  tensai answered softly. She was, in his opinion. He had seen the panic riding high, overwhelming her the last time she had been in Seigaku. To be able to beat back the fear until she reached a somewhat safe space already was quite a lot of progress. Her willpower was quite amazing.

“ Hariel how did your lessons go? And how did Momo-senpai react when he noticed that you followed him up to the second floor?” Ryoma asked, not so subtly changing the subject. 

“Eh,  Hariel-chibi is a second year?”  Kikumaru exclaimed, surprised.  Kaidoh hissed. “She’s in my class...” A short silence as they all glanced between the new classmates. “They think she’s a boy.” He finished shortly, before turning back to his lunch.

Hariel shoved her bento away, she’d never waste food and she had finished most of it. The sweets  Rinko had given her were ignored though, her stomach turning at the thought of eating her beloved sugary confections right now.

She turned slightly sideways, shoving her forehead against the side of Fuji’s neck. She tried to breath in his scent as subtly as possible. Rain and spice, it was incredibly soothing to her high-strung nerves.

Fuji only slipped several fingers below her uniform, rubbing her hip softly with warm fingers. She melted into him, pleased with the tacit permission to be close to him.

Oishi frowned at the two, they were very close. Fuji probably knew her before she came to school then. He had gone after her as well when they met her in the club room as well. Still, it was strange to see the  quiet unobtrusive  tensai so invested. He had never seen Fuji physically close to anyone, except  Eiji who was arguably one of his best friends.

Then his brain stalled. “Wait, they think  Hariel-chan is a boy?” He asked, incredulous, looking at  Kaidoh .  Kikumaru also looked wide-eyed. “But  Hariel-chibi is such a cute girl...” 

Ryoma frowned at the older cat-like boy. “Don’t hit on my  imouto .” He ordered stoically. At that Fuji nearly giggled,  Eiji was... well it was becoming obvious that the acrobatic player and his doubles partner were very... compatible. At least to him.

“Eh, o- chibi . I didn’t mean it like that. She’s just pretty. I don’t want to go on a date with her. I’m sorry  Hariel-chibi .” The redhead wailed out melodramatically.  Ryoma , having assessed that to be the truth nodded approvingly.  Kaidoh nearly groaned, he didn’t want Echizen on his case for being friends with the  boy's little sister. The brat was too persistent.

Fuji smirked. “Saa, I think  Eiji actually likes boys a lot more Echizen.” He stated kindly, ‘innocently’ glancing at Oishi. The redhead blushed while his doubles partner... also blushed.  Hariel giggled softly against his throat. The golden pair was cute. Ah well, they’ll figure it out.

“Fuji-senpai...”  Ryoma sighed, if he said anything it would upset  Hariel who was still feeling a little shaky if her pale skin was anything to go by. It didn’t matter if he disliked Fuji being so close to her, she was clearly drawing comfort from the sadistic teen and he would never stop her from reaching out.

“It’s okay Kikumaru-senpai. I don’t want to get in between you and your partner. We can be friends.” Hariel said softly, glancing between the blushing teenagers. The redhead blushed even brighter before bouncing back from the unexpected comment. “You should just call me Eiji-senpai. We will be great friends I can tell. Also... Hariel-chibi, do you spend a lot of time with Fujiko? That sounded just like something he would say...”

The  tensai smiled sharply at the cat-boy. “You know me so well, Eiji...” He smiled at the unnerved redhead, Hariel still caught in the cage of his arms. “Fujiko-chan...” He turned to his doubles partner, hiding behind his taller form. “Wah, he’s scary when he smiles like that.” He whispered, not so subtly.

Ryoma couldn’t resist glaring at the senior, who was way too close to Hariel in his opinion. Kaidoh glanced away from the... almost possessive display Fuji was creating by undoing  Hariel’s bun, carding his hands through her long hair as she leaned against him, nearly purring under the third year’s clever hands. He blushed, the two looked... at ease with each other, like a couple.

Hariel blinked at the drama the golden pair was creating as  Ryoma easily riled up  Kaidoh with one of his witty comments. She smiled, relaxed by the easy-going atmosphere. Fuji clenched a slim hand into her long hair, claiming her attention as he easily forced her willing form to face him. “Are you okay now?” He asked carefully, the question a soft whisper  against her ear.

She shivered under the warm breath ghosting over her skin. She nodded  slowly, she was okay now. His strong body was a barrier between her and the world, while the voices of her brother, friend and potential friends were a nice background melody.

She turned further, flinging her arms around his shoulders, catching him off-guard for a second. “Thank you, again. Sorry that I’m troubling you all the time.” She answered slowly. “Model for me again, I don’t find you troubling at all, but if it makes you feel better, we’ll call it even after that.” 

She nodded slowly, glad that he was able to smooth away her feelings of being a burden so easily. Instead of trying to insist she wasn’t a burden, something she still couldn’t quite believe he merely  devised a way for her to help him out too.

The bell rang, indicating that they had five more minutes before the afternoon lessons began again.  Hariel hopped up easily, reaching for Fuji to help him up too. He smiled, allowing the girl to pull him up.  Kikumaru and Oishi, the only ones who didn’t know her blinked at the casual display of strength. 

“Kaoru- kun , which class do we have now?” She asked absently, missing the slight shock on everyone else’s face, except  Ryoma , who was reminded of the time he suddenly found  Kaidoh in his kitchen. He had been shocked then as well. The petite witch and the tall grumpy junior seemed like a strange combination. Like a delinquent with a tiny princess, but it worked well.

They had heard her call him that before, but it hadn’t really sunken in. Her existence had been surprising,  Ryoma had never mentioned having siblings. 

“Ne  ne ,  Hariel-chibi , do you know  Kaidoh ?”  Kikumaru asked curiously, hanging off of Oishi’s taller form. She blinked up at him,  Kikumaru was one of the shortest on the team, but  Hariel was a lot shorter still. “We run together.” Oishi’s eyebrow rose,  Kaidoh was a stamina monster. Perhaps she meant that she ran part of routine with him? 

Kaidoh nodded absently. “We meet by the river, the one close to the temple. Then we finish our routine together every morning.” Oishi and  Kikumaru looked surprised, glancing at the petite girl. They had seen her keep up with Fuji during his punishment laps, but this was on another level entirely.

“Saa, speed demon-chan. You have class.” Fuji mildly pointed out. All of the regular’s glanced at the clock and nearly squawked, fleeing to their respective classrooms.  Hariel giggled, hugging Fuji quickly before following  Kaidoh back to their classroom.

Fuji was content,  Hariel was initiating more contact with him, and she had obviously been inhaling his scent. It had been pleasant, to spend lunch with her petite frame in his lap.

The prodigy failed to notice the darkening eyes following  Hariel as he followed  Kikumaru’s chaotic sprint.

* * *

Hariel wanted to flinch, as soon as the last bell rang the girls in the class had come swarming towards her like piranhas. She wasn’t quite sure how to bring up that... she was a girl.

Kaidoh hissed, and the mass backed off a little. When even the boys were starting to advance in her direction she flinched. Not entirely sure how to get out of this situation, she did the first things that came to mind. She opened the window, shrugged her bag across her shoulder and spoke up softly. 

“I’m going to sign up for tennis. See you later, Kaoru- kun .” She mumbled softly. Nobody else caught much more then tennis, which only increased the  squealing from the girls.

Hariel watched wide-eyed as her whole class started trying to talk to her all at once. She was an interesting new arrival halfway through the year... 

She waved awkwardly at the girls and boys and then hopped out of the window, scaling down to the first floor easily, where  Ryoma watched her wide-eyed. Apparently he had her exact seat in the classroom below. She smiled awkwardly and then jumped the rest of the way. Before anyone else could spot her, she quickly made her escape to the tennis club. 

Somehow crowds were easier out in the open, less claustrophobic, less noisy.

Sighing softly, she made her way to the office Coach  Ryuzaki shared with several other members of the faculty. She knocked politely. “Come on in.” Hesitantly she opened the door. “Ryuzaki-sensei? I’m new to Seigaku. I just transferred. I wondered if I could still sign up for the girl’s tennis club?”

The older woman in the pink track suit carefully observed the tiny girl in front of her. “Are you perhaps Echizen  Hariel ?” She asked calmly. “I think we met when  Ryoma was beating that arrogant high-schooler in Tennis at  Kakinoki Tennis Garden.”

Hariel nodded respectfully. “I am. Did  tou-chan tell you? I think he likes to pretend that he isn’t keeping an eye on Ryoma, but I’ve seen him on the phone with you several times.” She smiled awkwardly.

Ryuzaki laughed. “That sounds just like Nanjirou. You can sign up if you want.” She looked at the girl, despite the male uniform it was fairly easy to spot that she was a girl. Her face was fairly sharp, her eyes big and her body had curves where boys were... flatter. Granted, she could pass for a very pretty boy like this...

“I’ll see if I can’t find the acceptance papers. You can get changed and join this training if you want.”  Hariel nodded, she was somewhat excited. She hoped that the  girls' team was just as good as the boys team. 

“Go on Hariel, I’ll join in soon, Inui is coaching the Regular’s and I’m checking in later on the rest of the club.” She nodded, bowed politely and quickly left. She had no real wish to be seen changing by others.

She entered the, luckily, still empty girl’s changing room. Quickly shedding her uniform, she grabbed a black t-shirt with several green runes and white shorts. She liked to stitch her own runes on her clothes, gently imbuing them with magic. It was a rare gift, but she could feel her magic and was far more aware of it then most magicals. She hastily wrapped her arm in bandages and then tied it with a notice-me-knot. She had no desire to be stared at because of her scars. 

She grabbed her emerald green racket and stepped out of the door, cautiously optimistic. She figured that the Regulars of the girls' team might not be quite as good as the boys, but still. They were regulars for a reason, right?

* * *

“First years, hang up the nets. Second and third years, start running.” The  buchou of the girl's club was a blonde girl. Clearly her hair was dyed. She had earrings, necklaces and bracelets tinkling away merrily on her person. 

She had black eyes, and her limbs were worryingly thin in  Hariel’s opinion. Perhaps she could be considered vaguely healthy if she wasn’t the captain. As it was,  Hariel wondered if her muscle tone was really good enough to play a match against... well anyone.

“Hello, I’m Echizen  Hariel . I just joined the tennis club. Please take care of me.” She introduced herself politely. Bowing shallowly to the older teen. The girl frowned down at her. “I’m Nakamura  Yui , go join the other first years.”  Hariel blinked up at the slightly taller bird-like teen. “I’m a second year.” She stated quietly. 

Nakamura made an impatient gesture. “Then start running. Just because you joined in late doesn’t mean that I will allow you any special leeway. You will have to do the full work out, if you wanted a chance to ease into tennis you should have joined at the start of the year.”

Hariel nodded stoically and started running. She easily caught up with the rest, not noticing the frown on the  buchou’s face. Who did this gaijin think she was, suddenly turning up and calling herself  Echizen. There was no way that she was related to darling  Ryoma-sama right?

Nakamura frowned when the new girl outran all of the others, even the regulars. This upstart should know her place, if she wanted to be a  regular she would have to wait until the end of the year. There was no way that they were going to allow some stranger onto the team halfway through the year.

Hariel frowned when the girls stopped running after only five laps. Her own warmup was longer... “Second and third years, practice matches. First years, conditioning. Regulars, court F.” Nakamura ordered snootily.

Hariel blinked, then joined the rest of the second years. Another blond girl stepped up to her, flanked by two other girls... they seemed to fulfil the same function as Crabbe and Goyle. “Since you are new, I will go easy on you.” She said arrogantly. “Don’t be upset when you lose, I almost made it to the regulars you know.”

Hariel’s eyebrows rose fractionally.  Ryoma was arrogant, but it was backed up with skill and never just for the sake of it. He only needled people who bothered him first.

She merely nodded to the girls and followed them onto the court. “Which?” She asked coldly. Face placid. “What?” The senior asked, confused. Hariel frowned. “Smooth or rough?” The blonde still looked confused but answered because she didn’t want to admit that she had no idea what that meant. 

She had heard the terms before while she was cheering for Fuji-sama, but had no clue what they actually meant. “Smooth.” She answered confidently.

Hariel spun her racket. “Your serve.” She stated, leaving for the baseline. 

The girl, who hadn’t even introduced herself yet grinned at the judge, her crony.  Hariel nearly sighed when she caught the, not at all subtle, action. Malfoy and his cheating all over again, was she just destined to attract blond morons as rivals?

The blonde started  off with her strongest serve, not even the regulars could return it easily. That would show the gaijin her place.

Hariel blinked, before lazily hitting the ball precisely on the line behind the stunned blonde. “Out.” The judge called.  Hariel blinked at her. “It’s on the line.” She stated tonelessly. The crony smiled at her in  trium . “Yes, so  it's out.”

Hariel frowned, were they seriously unaware of the rules? Or were they just fucking with her? She elected to ignore it, making a mental note to hit very clearly within the lines. That way the judge couldn’t cheat on behalf of her... opponent.

The Fuji-fangirl frowned, serving as hard as she could again. That had to be a fluke.  Hariel blinked, barely moving from her spot. The ball, to her motion vision, was slow. No power, no precision. Easily she hit it back, between the girl’s legs. She would leave no doubt that the ball was in.

Shocked the blonde tried to counter the raven. Everything she threw at her though, was countered, easily smashed out of the air. The other girl hadn’t even moved from her spot.

Panting she blushed bright red in anger. The stupid bitch was humiliating her! Her, Fuji- sama's number one fan!

“S-Six games to love.” The crony spoke up, wide-eyed in her shock.  Hariel hadn’t even used her dominant hand, or any specialty move.

Coach  Ryuzaki frowned,  Hariel was on another level. Maybe this would motivate the other girls...

* * *

Hariel quietly watched from behind the fence as Ryoma, Fuji and all the other regulars trained. She was... disappointed. The girls trained not even half as hard or as long as the boys and seemed to be more of an unofficial cheering squad. 

Their posture was wrong, their strength lacking and when they clocked on to the fact that she was a girl they were angry at her. She didn’t understand why, she had never said she was a boy.

Blank faced she watched, not even winded from the so-called training. She wondered if it had been a mistake to enter the club.

“Hiya,  Hariel-chibi . Did your afternoon classes go okay?”  Kikumaru asked her when their practice ended. He had bounced right up to her. She smiled up at the excitable senior. “Hello  Eiji -senpai. I think my classes went alright. I understood all of the material.” She answered politely. She was British, it was in her blood. Whenever she was even slightly out of her comfort zone she retreated into politeness.

“Good  good .” The redhead blinked. “Ne, did you join the tennis club?” He had finally registered her racket and training clothes. She nodded calmly. “Ah, Echizen-chan. You joined the girl’s Tennis club then.” Inui commented, tall form appearing out of nowhere.  Hariel nodded mutely, trying to get over the mild scare.

“Ah,  Hariel .”  Ryoma said stoically, his golden eyes fixed on her. Something was wrong, she was far too blank. “ Nii-chan .” She greeted, equally stoic. “Training at home?” She asked hopefully.

Ryoma blinked, he was tired from practice, but she seemed so hopeful... “After dinner.” She nodded, then walked off to go and change, fairly certain that the locker rooms were empty by now.

“Echizen... does  Hariel-chan normally train multiple times on one day?”  Ryoma flinched slightly, Fuji had appeared at his side unexpectedly, serious cerulean trained on  Hariel’s leaving from.

“No...” He answered, frowning as it set in what exactly was odd about this situation. Inui scribbled into his ever-present notebook. “Girls train significantly less, perhaps she wasn’t challenged.  Kaidoh mentioned that she runs his entire morning training with him. Her stamina is easily on par with our regulars.”

Fuji frowned,  Hariel couldn’t join the boys club, but he worried that she wouldn’t like the girl’s tennis club. Her blank face had not spoken of a good first training session.

* * *

Ryuzaki sighed. She had watched as  Hariel’s face had turned blanker with every new exercise. The girl was disappointed. She couldn’t blame her, judging by the girl’s arms and legs she was a serious athlete. Toned and slender, she was in peak physical condition.

She was almost ashamed of the other girls when she realised that  Hariel wasn’t being challenged in the slightest. The regulars seemed to be snubbing her, for not being tired. For trashing one of the more troublesome girls. For pretending to be a boy. To the best of  Ryuzaki’s knowledge the girl had done no such thing, but teenagers could be immature.

Instead of lashing out as many of her idiot boys would have  done she seemed to be frosting over. Becoming more and more withdrawn, until she only answered  Sakuno . She paired up with her granddaughter for exercises and was gently correcting and encouraging the girl.

When the coach called everyone to lap the court several times to cool down,  Hariel took off. The older woman had spotted several girls talking to her, snidely, judging by the tone though she didn’t quite catch the words. When one of them tried to trip the newest girl, she lithely jumped over the obstacle and started running faster than they could keep up. Easily lapping them several times without ever slowing down she seemed almost... angry.

Instead of being cowed and backing down before what seemed to be a majority of the club’s  ire she ground their faces into the sheer fact that she was better. The girl was stubborn then, just like all the other Echizen’s  Ryuzaki noted. Perhaps she should call herself lucky that nobody had been assaulted with a tennis ball yet.  Nanjirou and  Ryoma would have been nowhere near as patient.

“ Hariel , the intra-school tournament is soon.” She stated quietly. “As a second year, you can sign up for it. I think you could be a regular.” The girl’s face was blank. So blank that she couldn’t read her at all, which was impressive, considering she could read  Tezuka and even Fuji’s gentle smile fairly easily by now.

“I will consider it, thank you for the recommendation Coach Ryuzaki.” The raven bowed politely and then left towards the courts in use by the boys.

The older woman sighed, she hoped sorely that  Hariel would stick around. She could be an immense boon to the club. Judging by the current dynamic though, it was unlikely.

* * *

Hariel changed back into her uniform, tying the jacket around her waist and unbuttoning the top. She rubbed her hands over her eyes tiredly. “I already despise the girls.” She muttered to herself. Fuji fell into step with her easily. “That bad?” He asked softly. Blank eyes met his, and some sort of sixth sense regarding the petite witch warned him that it wasn’t ice she was hiding. It was fire. She was furious.

He didn’t know it, but  Hariel’s magic was nearly spitting and hissing in the face of her sheer anger. She despised judgemental people, rumours, fangirls and hangers-on. The girl's tennis club was rife with them. They seemed to pride themselves on being like a cheering squad for the guys, which she thought was disgusting, sexist and weak.

“They are weak.” She stated icily. She wasn’t one to judge, but this wasn’t like  Sakuno-chan who was a beginner but trying so hard. They were deliberately neglecting their training to cheer for the regulars!

“ So you aren’t being challenged enough?” He asked leadingly. She frowned. “They can’t keep up with even half of my morning training,  never mind the training I do with  Yuuta-kun . They seem to consider themselves your cheering squad.”

Fuji frowned, he knew some of this, but hadn’t realised the girls had... deteriorated quite that far. “Saa, I’d apologize, but there is nothing I can do about that. Fangirls are a terrifying force.” He mentioned offhanded.  Hariel nodded in agreement.

“I don’t know if I want to stay in the club.” She mentioned semi-casually, disappointment burning in her heart. It felt like admitting defeat, and yet... she was never going to stay anywhere she wasn’t wanted again.

The taller teenager wrapped an arm around her shoulders, pale hand wrapping warmly around her upper arm. 

Hariel stopped walking for a moment, leaning against his side. “They were so angry, just because I won a match. I trashed her because she tried to have her friend cheat for her with calling shots in when they were clearly out. She hated me before we ever spoke a word.”

Fuji frowned. He wished he could just take  Hariel with him to the boy’s club. She fit with them, in a way she very clearly wasn’t fitting in with the girls. Perhaps because she was serious about tennis?

Softly he kissed her forehead. “I hope it gets better, angel.” She hummed, absently taking his offered elbow. “ Mhm , I hope so.” Fuji blinked when he  realised she was following him down the streets even though the temple was the other way. Spotting the mild confusion  Hariel explained, reading his expression and reacting to his emotions without realising it.

“I’m going to the hospital. My... my tutor, he has surgery tomorrow.” She mumbled out. Fuji hummed. “I hope it goes well.” She nodded, tired. “Yeah, yeah I hope so too.”


	12. Surgery

Hariel knocked softly. She waited for Yukimura’s permission before entering. Slowly opening the door, she blinked as she was confronted with a room full of boys. His team?

“Ah, Hariel-chan. How was your first day of school?” The navy-haired boy seemed tired, but it didn’t look like he was in too much pain. “Okay.” She mumbled awkwardly. She dropped her bag next to his bed in the usual spot. For lack of something to say or do, she went over to the plant she had given him. Checking the soil and then taking it over to the sink to water it.

“Eh, you are that girl who visited  buchou ...”  Kirihara recognised her easily enough, she had made an impression.  Sanada merely nodded at her, greeting her in his own stoic way.

“ Kirihara -san, Sanada-san, nice to see you again.” She said softly. She wanted to leave and yet also support Yukimura.

The violet-eyed boy gently patted the bed next to him. She looked at him, raising an eyebrow. He merely nodded. She bit her lip, then she pushed through the barrier of boy softly, hopping into the bed with him. 

She curled up to him easily, climbing into his lap and hiding her face against his neck. She could hear him chuckle, but so sue her she was still pretty shy with strangers.

“Team, this is Echizen  Hariel . I’ve been tutoring her. She’s become a very close friend of mine." Yukimura introduced her gently.  Hariel glanced up at them shyly. “Nice to meet you everyone.” She whispered, bowing her head a little.

She ignored the veritable waterfall of reactions with ease. Yukimura only patted her head softly, dealing with the situation for her, which was only fair since he had created it in her humble opinion.

By the time his team had left she would be happy to never hear the word girlfriend again. 

“Why does everyone assume that we’re in a relationship.” She grumbled against his warm skin. His chest vibrated with the chuckles he was trying to stifle. “Laugh it up, Seiichi-senpai...”

“Thank you for coming.” He merely replied softly. She sighed. “Of course.”

“Will you sit for a painting some time?” He asked out of nowhere.  Hariel blinked, what was it with people wanting to capture her image.

“Ah.... okay.” She mumbled sleepily. She put a careful hand over his throat, calling up the runic ritual she had enacted. She carefully boosted the runic enchantment. Eventually the ritual would fade, but for now she could keep boosting it to help him out for a little while longer. It couldn’t hurt to up his chances for tomorrow.

“Are you ready?” He nodded distantly. She pressed a very soft kiss to his forehead. Taking his face into her hands she kissed him, a feather soft touch. “You will be okay.” He nodded, obeying the unspoken command behind it.

“I’ll be here tomorrow, as soon as you wake up.” He smiled at her, glad. “Alright.” He squeezed her hand gently, worried and tense.

Hariel left late in the evening, after her senpai had fallen asleep. She couldn’t be there the next morning, but she would look out for him however she could.

* * *

Hariel got dressed in a haze, she had gone for her morning run with  Kaidoh but she was distracted and couldn’t seem to keep up. Eventually her grumpy classmate had simply plucked her up and swung her onto his back. He had delivered her back to the temple, and then stalked off to talk to Echizen. 

“She’s distracted, take care of her.” Then he had nodded brusquely and walked off.

Hariel blinked down at her uniform, vaguely noting that she had finished getting dressed. 

Ryoma sighed, he knew why she was distracted it was understandable... “Come on Hariel. I’ll ask Momo-senpai if he’ll take you along on his bike. I don’t trust you not to walk into something.”

She merely blinked, not even hearing him. She was focussed  inward, on the faint link she could feel tying her to Yukimura.

Momoshiro rode up to them on his bike soon after, she had missed breakfast entirely. “ Yo , what’s going with Echizen-chan?” “Her tutor is undergoing surgery today. She’s worried.” The tall second year nodded seriously. “Oh, I hope everything goes well.” Ryome swallowed. “So do I.” He didn’t particularly want to know what would happen if Yukimura died.  Hariel was incredibly attached to the older teenager after all...

Ryoma guided the still out of  it girl towards  Momoshiro . He took her bag from her lax hand and then lifted her onto the back of  Momoshiro’s bike. Automatically she clenched a hand into the back of his uniform but otherwise she failed to notice.

With worry in his eyes  Ryoma followed behind them, taking in her distant posture and the nearly always fixed on nothing eyes. She was so far away like this...

With steadily growing worry they guided the girl around campus between them.  Momoshiro had a steady grip on her shoulder as he made his way to the second floor, nodding goodbye to a worried Echizen in the process.

“Oi,  mamushi . Take care of her.” The surprised second year turned around when he heard  Momoshiro’s call. Spotting  Hariel his grumpy expression sharped further. Carefully he took her hand, gently tugging her along. “I will. Momo.” He said shortly, leaving a slightly stunned amethyst-eyed teen behind. Carefully he guided her towards her seat, spotting the teacher’s frown he made his way to Tanaka-sensei's desk.

“Her tutor is going through surgery today. She’s worried.” He mentioned softly. The stern woman nodded thoughtfully. She would let the girl be for today. 

* * *

The bell rang and  Hariel blinked around in surprise. She hadn’t noticed the day flying by, no memories or any clue how she got here either. 

She gathered her stuff and quickly left the room. She was halfway down the stairs when a sharp pain tore through her chest. She gasped in surprise, starting to crumble to her knees. Ryoma, coming down the stairs right after her, immediately caught her collapsing frame. He’d been looking for her.

Her eyes were narrowed in pain and she was clawing at her chest. “No.... no no no no." She whispered desperately.

Ryoma frowned, he scooped her up bridal style. Tears were trailing down her face, soaking into the black curls by her temples. Her face was pale and her hands were tearing into the skin by her throat now.

He pulled her into a classroom, refusing to allow others to see her like this. He was worried, she seemed to be utterly unaware of his presence.  Hariel was crying, her bond with Seiichi was... dissolving. 

The pain was indescribable, but she refused to let go. Desperately she threw all of her magic into clinging to him. 

Blood was starting to leak out of her mouth, crimson trails dripping down her pale skin. Her face was pained and now she was whimpering as well. Then, while  Ryoma was staring at her in worry, wondering what he should do her eyes flew open. Wide green met startled gold as she screamed. 

“SEIICHI.” For one moment  Ryoma could see the boy in front of them. He pressed a kiss to her lips. ‘I promised didn’t I. I will always be here for you.’ Then, he was gone. Ryoma prayed feverishly that he wasn’t dead. 

Dazed green eyes blinked up at him. A bloody smile was shining up at him. His eyebrow rose in question. “Fine, he’s fine now. He’s okay.” She muttered dizzily. Her magical core was utterly empty. It felt a little bit like she was missing one of her limbs. She was so incredibly relieved though, her bond with the navy-haired senior was pulsing reassuringly, healthy and stronger still then ever.

Fuji opened the door, his eyes widened as he spotted  Hariel , collapsed against  Ryoma with blood dripping from her mouth. “Ah,  Syusuke -san. I had a little accident.” She told him the truth, or as much of it as she could safely reveal.

“I was calling to check on Seiichi-senpai and for a moment I thought he was  gone, I fell down the stairs. Turns out, he’s fine.” Fuji breathed out slowly, she seemed to be alright, in spite of the blood. Carefully he kneeled next to the siblings. Taking out his water bottle and a spare handkerchief he slowly dabbed away the blood. 

“That’s good. I’m happy for you." He murmured kindly, heart still in his throat from the scare.

Hariel tried to sit up, but ultimately would have collapsed to the floor again if not for Fuji’s quick reflexes.  Ryoma’s hands shook, he could have lost her today. What she had done was dangerous, nobody started coughing up blood from their mouth if it wasn’t. He knew just enough about magic to realise that she had risked her own soul to keep her senpai alive.

“I want to see him.” She whispered in a daze. Fuji frowned, looking at  Ryoma in worry. The team’s baby sighed, before nodding. “We will take you, right Fuji-senpai?” The  tensai nodded slowly. “If that is what you need...” She nodded still out of it. 

The honey-haired teenager swept her up bridal style. “Taxi.”  Hariel muttered slowly. She had the money for it and she desperately wanted to see Yukimura. Fuji frowned, but nodded slowly. 

Frightened still, hands clenched tightly enough that his nails were biting into his palms  Ryoma followed the two out of the school. It was lucky that there was no club to go to today. 

* * *

Fuji opened the door, easing into the cab with  Hariel dragged along into his lap.  Ryoma joined them, stoically telling the driver the  address of the hospital.

Hariel was staring ahead without seeing, she seemed to have taken one of Fuji’s hands hostage, clinging to the pale slender boy with all of her might. She was shivering, her temperature dropping with her lack of magic. 

Ryoma was carefully monitoring his little sister, after her stunt there were still a lot of things which could go wrong after all... Perhaps going to the hospital was the right thing to do, she needed a  check-up herself.

Fuji was confused, for all that her words hadn’t sounded like lies, it was still a strange situation. Why did she seem so sick and weak herself so suddenly? He resigned himself to not knowing and cuddled his obsession closer. Serenely he told himself that at least now he would get to meet Yukimura and see with his own eyes whether he was... a threat.

Ryoma , seeing his senpai’s sharp blue gaze caught on  Hariel , again, groaned. Perhaps he should resign himself to having the  tensai as an in-law. The mutual obsession/attraction whatever it was they were building between them was a force all to itself. He’d never seen anything like it.

He thanked the driver and paid with  Hariel’s money before exiting the vehicle. Fuji followed, somehow managing to appear  graceful even though he was slithering out of the door with a girl in his arms. 

He led his senpai through the white hospital maze. He still remembered the way. Absently  Ryoma reminded himself that he had to call his family. Just as soon as his own heart rate was normal again.

He opened the door without so much as a by your leave. Yukimura was in his bed, just like the last time he met the older teen. Several teenagers were surrounding him, along with what seemed to be his parents and, little sister perhaps?

“Thanks everyone, for coming. I’d like some time alone now.” His soothing voice rang out smoothly, he looked just tired and overwrought enough that it was  believable . 

Fuji, always clever and quick on the uptake kindly spoke with the Yukimura parents. “We only wish to say hello for a short moment. We won’t bother him for long. Hariel-chan has just been very worried all day.”

The adult's eyes softened. That they could understand, and despite only meeting her now, they’d heard about her enough from Yukimura to recognize her on sight. Spotting their worried look,  Ryoma spoke up to shortly speak in an effort to get them to go away. “She’s just tired because she worried instead of sleeping last night. My  imouto isn’t sick. She would never risk Yukimura’s health.”

They nodded, finally leaving the room, ushering the Rikka Dai team along kindly.

As soon as the door clicked shut, Yukimura pinned his intent violet gaze on the slack form of his friend. She was hanging limply in Fuji’s arms and he just knew that it hadn’t been a fever dream at all. She had done something. He held out his arms, and she almost threw herself at him. 

Fuji, anticipating this event, moved with her, neatly depositing her into the navy-haired boys embrace.

“Seiichi...  Seichii ....” She sobbed into his neck. “I almost lost you.” Yukimura tightened his hold on her further. “I’m sorry.” He whispered mournfully. He never meant to scare her, had never meant to do anything except hang on. He just hadn’t been strong enough.

He could feel her tears burning a path down his own skin. As if by divine punishment. He carefully cradled her face, pressing soft kisses over her mouth, her cheeks, her eyelids, her forehead, as if repenting.

“I’ll never leave you. I promised didn’t I. I will always be here for you Hariel.”

Fuji looked at the two intertwined teenagers. He didn’t feel even the slightest twinge of jealousy. He could almost see the way they fit together. It was like they were half of each other. As if they had been meant to be one entire person. It looked more like a twin-bond then a romantic one. They weren’t each other’s other half. They were half of one whole split too soon. If there was such a thing as a platonic soulmate, they were it.

Eventually  Hariel seemed to fall into an exhausted sleep.  Ryoma had left the room for a short time, to call his parents and  Ryoga . They had been worried, but seemed willing enough to leave this be until  Hariel was ready to leave Yukimura’s side after the scare with his operation.

Yukimura had suspiciously wet eyes as well, but he seemed to be at peace with himself.  Hariel was sprawled all over the tennis captain, clinging to his taller frame even in her sleep. He was softly rubbing her back, soothing the girl in her sleep. 

Eventually violet eyes took in the slender frame of Seigaku’s Tensai. “So you are Hariel’s Fuji-kun. Or at least one of them.” The captain needled gently. He was curious whether this boy really was as alike with him as Ryoma and Ryoga had implied.

Fuji’s eyes opened, sharp blue eyes catching and holding his violet gaze. “And you are  Hariel-chan's Seiichi-senpai.” He smiled  gently, eyes curving shut in his signature smile. “It’s nice to meet you.”

Yukimura almost smiled, oh he was good. He didn’t even twitch at the mention that his brother might also be romantically attached to Hariel. Almost like a mirror, near unreadable. Counter tennis indeed...

“I’ve heard a lot about you Fuji- kun . Tell me, what do you think about  Hariel-chan ? I think it’s important that my beloved  kou hai has good senpai to take care of her at her new school.”

Fuji observed the famed tennis captain with interest. He could see why they had been compared. The other tennis player also had a gentle  demeanour which hid a very shrewd mind. 

“Saa, isn’t it more important what  Hariel-chan thinks of me?” Yukimura smiled, and  Ryoma looked on in horror at the clash of the pretty, dangerous teenagers. Yukimura nodded thoughtfully. He liked Fuji. He wasn’t immature, and he seemed genuinely attracted to Hariel, more than that he cared a great deal and he was allowing it to be seen because he had already noticed that Yukimura cared for  Hariel as well, and not in a way which was threatening to him.

“I think we will get along very well Fuji- kun .” The  tensai smiled as well. “Likewise, Yukimura-kun.”

Ryoma nearly sighed in relief that they weren’t going to fight. Then he shuddered, he did not want to know what it would look like if these two ever decided to ‘share’ a target.

“I fear for my mental sanity, and especially the sanity of anyone who looks at Ri wrong.” He mumbled under his breath. The two seniors looked at him at the same time, gentle smiles on their pretty faces. “Echizen- kun , thank you so much for the lovely compliment.”  Ryoma eyed the captain with some  trepidation , he wasn’t going to tease  him right?

“Saa Echizen, it is always so nice when you compliment me.” Fuji added cheerfully. He leaned closer to the bed, gently pulling the scrunchy from black curls, carding his hand through her hair carefully.  Hariel sighed, and subconsciously sought him out, curling towards him without letting go of Yukimura. She caught his hand with one of hers, resting her face against the warm hand as if looking for reassurance that he was there.

“Hmm, Fuji- kun . Come here for a moment, I can’t support  Hariel-chan for much longer.” Fuji looked at the strong arms cradling the girl, not trembling in the slightest. Lie.

He nodded kindly. “ Of course Yukimura- kun . I wouldn’t want to separate the two of you though.” He joined the two teenagers and  Ryoma rubbed his eyes against the headache threatening to bloom behind his eyes.

Fuji pulled  Hariel down between the two, curling around her back as he carefully shielded her petite shape. Yukimura smiled sharply at the shorter teen, looking Fuji right in the eye over  Hariel’s head.

Ryoma sighed, his sister was such a trouble magnet. He did not think this combination was a good idea at all. He looked at her relaxed frame, cradled between the two teenage boys peacefully. The things he did for her...

* * *

Hariel woke up shivering. She opened her eyes and the first thing she noticed was Yukimura’s intense violet gaze. She breathed out in relief. She frowned slightly in confusion when she noticed that, while they were partially intertwined, it wasn’t his arm her head was lying on. Not his arm curled around her waist.

She felt someone behind her shift, looking at her carefully as she looked behind her. She blushed as she realized that it was Fuji who was holding her. He’d been curled around her sleeping frame protectively. Her head on his arm and her back pulled to his chest. “Saa, did you sleep well Hariel-chan?” He asked kindly. She nodded vaguely.

“Fuji- kun carried you here, do you remember?” Yukimura asked softly. She blinked at him, thoughts still slow and sluggish. She nodded again. “ Mmh , thank you.” The blue-eyed Fuji merely smiled soothingly. “It was no problem.”

“ Hariel . We are expected home by ten at the latest. It’s about eight o’clock now.”  Ryoma stated bluntly. He was sitting on a chair next to them.

Slowly Fuji sat up,  Hariel resisted the urge to cling to him. She could see Yukimura smiling at her slyly from the corner of her eye and tried not to blush. The honey-haired senior didn’t go far. He sat up against the headboard. She already missed his body heat and didn’t even try to protest when Yukimura pushed her closer to the  Seigaku student. 

It was subtle motion, though he didn’t need to bother with that. Fuji caught it instantly and accommodated for  Hariel’s frame easily. Making the whole manoeuvre seem entirely smooth and natural. She ended up sitting in his lap, her legs slung over Yukimura’s waist. It was soothing for her magic, the small amount of the dense power she had recovered with her nap flowing freely between the two teenagers. 

She nearly started crying again as the close call started to sink in. She rubbed her face against Fuji’s neck as if she was a cat marking her territory. Inhaling the scent of rain and spice was soothing. As a slender hand wound into her curls at the base of her neck the tight claiming grip and Fuji’s own personal scent worked easily to calm her down.

Yukimura watched with interest as  Hariel calmed down. She was obviously tired, but the emotional strain on her was slowly disintegrating as if skin contact with the interesting prodigy was enough to help her centre herself. He hummed thoughtfully. Fuji would make for an interesting  acquaintance which was good, since  Hariel would likely bind them together for the rest of their life.

His eyes drifted off to the other Echizen in the room, he would need to get to know him as well.  Hariel was the link between them, and nobody wanted to break her.

“Saa, Echizen, if you had told me sooner that Yukimura- kun would make such a delightful friend I might not have needed to entertain myself with you...” Fuji commented slyly. Watching golden eyes widen in dread and irritation was always funny. “Fuji-senpai. I still think that the two of you meeting at all is a disaster. Your entertainment usually means being embarrassed, or passing out from Inui-senpai's juice.” He turned to face the other senior as well. “And  Ryoga-nii has complained about you enough that I don’t trust you not to tease me either.” Golden eyes were narrowed suspiciously at the bed-bound tennis player.

Yukimura chuckled. “ Hariel told me about Inui- kun's juice. Is it really that bad Echizen- kun ?” The stoic face of the male Echizen cracked slightly as an expression of horror formed. “Can’t be that bad, all he adds is vegetables and  protein right?”  Hariel mumbled softly against Fuji’s throat. The boy shivered slightly at the feeling of her cold lips.  Hariel only smiled softly against his neck when she felt him tighten his grip on her hair in response.

“I think Inui makes wonderful juice.” He said softly.  Ryoma frowned indignantly. “You have weird  taste buds senpai. Everyone else except for  buchou always ends up fainting.”

“And to make it worse, you always keep up during our laps because you want to watch everyone else drink. You like his stupid  juice, you don’t even want to avoid drinking it. You just want to watch us suffer.” The grumpy first year continued, on a roll.

Yukimura smiled, they were funny. “Inui’s juice is good for you Echizen. Perhaps you will even grow a little.” Fuji stated serenely, not even bothering to deny his slight sadism.

“ Oh is that why you are so small Echizen-kun. Did you not eat healthy enough?” Yukimura teased gently. The boy sighed, there was no winning against two of them, besides he was the normal height for his age.

“I think  nii-chan looks cute surrounded by his senpai.”  Hariel spoke up, voice light and happy. “They take such good care of him. He isn’t nearly as distant with them as he was with all the other kids back in England.”

Ryoma sighed, there went his reputation. “Oh, so Echizen likes us. We’ve tried to be good senpai but he always seemed so stubborn and distant. It really is just his personality then. I’ll have to tell  Eiji that you really do love us, he’ll be ecstatic.” Fuji told the freshman kindly with a soft smile on his face. Eyes curved shut in little half-moons.

“ Hariel ... don’t tell people that. I don’t want  Eiji -senpai to suffocate me.” The golden-eyed teen complained grumpily.

Hariel fell back asleep with a smile on her face, drifting  off to the sound of three of her most precious people. Fuji pressed a soft kiss to her forehead and his “Sleep well  Hariel -chan." Guided her into murphy’s embrace gently.

* * *

Hariel had no idea how she ended up back home.  Ryoma mentioned over breakfast that she’d fallen asleep again and that he had called  Nanjirou to come and pick them up. “ Bishoujo , that brat was awfully close to you.” The Samurai whined. The green-eyed girl only smiled. “I like Seiichi-senpai and  Syusuke -san, of course they are close to me, they are my friends.” She only stated, unconcerned with her dad’s outburst.

Ryoga frowned down at  Ryoma . “Keep an eye on  chibi -chan. She has way too many boys close to her.” He stated seriously. Nanako and  Rinko hid smiles at the silly behaviour. “Alright.”  Ryoma stated slightly mockingly. 

Hariel giggled at her older brother. It would take a little longer for the panic to die down but for now she was okay.

“Bye everyone, have a good day.” She called out as she followed  Ryoma’s sleepy form out of the door. “Ah, hello Momo-chan.” She greeted the  second-year student cheerfully. “Ah Echizen- chan , are you alright today? Did your senpai’s surgery go well then?” She nodded happily. “Seiichi-senpai should recover entirely before nationals take place.” She stated, pleased.

Momoshiro blinked down at the smaller second year. “Your senpai plays tennis?” It might be some other sport but he was curious now.  Hariel nodded cheerfully, easily steering  Ryoma away from his impending meeting with a metal fence. “Ah, Seiichi-senpai is  Rikka Dai’s Captain.” 

Momoshiro blinked down at her, shocked. “Your senpai is Yukimura from  Rikka Dai?” He asked, stunned. Everyone knew that school. They were a national level team after all. 

She skipped ahead, incredibly relieved and still bubbling with the happiness of Yukimura being cured. “Yes. I met their team too, but I didn’t talk to them much. They all seemed nice though.”

Ryoma yawned. “Momo-senpai, don’t trust Yukimura.” He told him seriously.  Momoshiro frowned, amethyst-eyes serious and focussed on the freshman. “What is wrong with him?”

Ryoma looked up at his friend, golden eyes unusually focussed. “He’s like Fuji-senpai, a teasing menace and probably a sadist as well.”  Hariel promptly started giggling while  Momoshiro sighed. “Is that all, I was worried there for a second.” Then the power player started thinking about Fuji, and the one time he had seen the older boy talking to one of the people who had driven his  otouto away. He shuddered. “This is bad.” Ryoma nodded. “I know.”

Smiling slightly,  Hariel left the two of them to it. She knew that they weren’t really afraid. They were just a little wary of being teased.

* * *

She slumped into her seat next to  Kaidoh’s desk, who appeared just before the bell. “ Fsshhh , hello, again.” The grumpy boy stated humorously. They had run together just before going to school. “Good morning, again, Kaoru- kun .” She whispered softly. 

English was boring, and  Hariel spend most of the lesson either helping  Kaidoh out or staring out of the window. “Thanks.” Dark green eyes looked at her thankfully, a small blush colouring his cheeks. He really is very sweet, the emerald-eyed girl thought fondly. “Anytime.”

“Ne, Kaoru- kun what do you usually do during lunch?” The petite cross-dressing girl asked softly once the bell rang. “I have a bento, and I usually eat here.” The brunet answered easily.  Hariel nodded thoughtfully. She packed her own bento as well, and she was getting used to Seigaku slowly. It was only her third day but she liked school well enough.

She stood up and patted his shoulder in passing, waving as she left.  Kaidoh waved back awkwardly, blush once again almost invisible but there. She grinned as she left the classroom. The snake specialist already knew where she would go.

She took the stairs two at a time as she made her way to the roof. “ Niichan .” She called softly, before flinging herself on top of the sleeping boy. “ Hariel .” He said lowly, blinking awake.  Ryoma grunted, sitting up with  Hariel still plastered over him. The door opened again and Fuji and  Kikumaru stepped onto the roof.

“Ah, o- chibi ,  Hariel-chibi .” The redhead cried excitedly, before flinging himself all over the two  Echizens as he hugged them tightly. “ Eiji -senpai, I can’t  breath .”  Hariel flailed awkwardly under the older boy's assault.  Ryoma had long since resigned himself to this and merely waited patiently.

“Saa,  Eiji , don’t suffocate our cute  kou hai.” Fuji spoke up, after watching the funny trio for a second.

“But Fujiko- chan , I haven’t seen the  chibis all day.” The blue-eyed boy sat down next to the tangle of limbs.  Hariel finally succeeded in shoving  Eiji entirely onto Ryoma, who shot her a golden-eyed glare. She smirked at him, shifting away from the two to sit next to Fuji.

“ Eiji -senpai how was your morning?”  Hariel asked softly, he was the only one she didn’t really know here but she wanted to be friends with him. The older boy was just so nice and bubbly. For Hariel, who had never really been allowed to be a child his energy was amazing.

“Good, good. I’m looking forward to the end of the school day though.” The acrobat stated cheerfully.  Hariel smiled at him tentatively. “Me too.” She confessed shyly. She leaned a little closer to the tensai, it wasn’t even a conscious decision, her body just swayed towards him.

“Do you have tennis practice today,  Hariel ?”  Ryoma asked, calmly eating his lunch as he leaned against the wall. She nodded. “I do.” A dark look appeared for a split second on her pretty face, before it was hidden again under more stoic behaviour.

“We can walk home together.”  Ryoma said indifferently, but all three could see he was pleased.  Hariel merely nodded in confirmation.

“Hariel-chan, what type of racket do you use? I’ve seen it before, but I was wondering what tension you use.” Fuji asked curiously, redirecting her attention as he shifted closer to the girl. She leaned against him without even noticing, missing Kikumaru’s curious look and Ryoma’s resigned glare at the  tensai completely.

Fuji nearly smirked at Echizen, but instead turned his attention to her answer. “Balanced.” She pronounced shortly, contently leaning against her senior while drinking from her water bottle. “I need the power from the lower tension, but I play a very controlled type of tennis so I have a fairly high tension on my racket. I could go even higher with my control but I won’t because power is my weakest area.”

The older tennis player nodded thoughtfully. “That makes sense, you have a very difficult style speed demon-chan.”  Kikumaru blinked. “Did you play a match against Hariel-chibi Fujiko-chan?” He asked curiously. “Che, he played against Hariel and  oyaji , but Fuji-senpai won’t play against me.”  Ryoma complained half-heartedly. 

Fuji smiled at him serenely. “Saa, I’m sure you will have your chance too some time Echizen.” The genius peacefully declared, utterly ignoring once more that he could easily play against him any time. Hariel hid her face against his shoulder, giggling lightly. 

“So, did Fujiko- chan win?” The redhead asked the girl who was by now plastered against Fuji’s side. She didn’t even seem to notice, but  Kikumaru had caught Fuji smiling down at the girl softly. He wasn’t known for allowing girls close but Hariel was clearly different. “6-4. He didn’t play seriously though.”  Hariel pouted up at him, she knew that it hadn’t been an insult, but one day she wanted to be able to keep up.

Fuji opened his eyes, staring down at the petite shape leaning against him. Roughly he tugged on her hair. “Don’t put yourself down. I was serious against you. I used my counters and you broke one of them. Maybe I didn’t go all out, but I was closer to it then you seem to think.” She flushed as she felt the grip of a powerful slender hand clenched into her hair. It made her feel important, as if he had intentionally claimed her attention.

Kikumaru looked on, wide-eyed. That... was interesting. He hadn’t seen Fujiko-chan so invested in someone before, or so sharp without someone running away almost. Instead o-chibi's imouto seemed to like his sharp gaze, nodding softly as if accepting the reprimand.

Fuji never really played  seriously, he was so good that he didn’t need to. For Hariel to have broken one of his triple counters... The redhead wanted to see her play tennis.

The warning bell rang and the four tennis players quickly left the roof.  Hariel nodded to  Eiji and hugged Fuji fleetingly as she smiled up at him before following  Ryoma down the stairs. 

The two seniors went to their class, Fuji smiling gently, happy to have seen  Hariel , and  Kikumaru intrigued.

Once more piercing hateful eyes tracked the girl, nobody noticed.

* * *

Calling softly for the older Black blooded  wix ,  Hariel waited patiently until his face appeared. “Hey Sirius.” She said shyly. She knew that what she did had been dangerous. Messing with bonds and souls always was. She just prayed that Sirius wouldn’t get too angry. The idea terrified her.

Still, Seiichi-senpai was alright, so all was right in her world.

“Hello fawn." “I uhm... I told you about Seiichi-senpai right? He was in surgery yesterday.” “How did it go?" The Black lord asked curiously. She didn’t seem upset, so he wasn’t worried.

“I uh, the bond was... dissolving at one point. I clung to it, and I drained my core." Seeing his grey  eyse widen in panic  Hariel hastened to add. “It was fine, I’m fine, completely recovered even.”

The wizard let out a slow controlled breath. “That’s good fawn... I can’t say I’m glad that you risked yourself, but I understand." Kind sympathetic eyes met her nervous green. “I would have done the same for James." He smiled ruefully. “I’d be a hypocrite to get angry at you now so... please just be careful."

Hariel frowned unhappily, there was a subtle glimmer in her  godfather's eyes. “I can’t lose you to fawn...”

* * *

The green-eyed girl flopped back on her bed, tired and emotionally wrung out from the call with her godfather. She reached out and scrawled a few  reassuring sentences to the English witches.

Then she curled up, and fell straight asleep. She was still magically exhausted, so for once there were no dreams and she slept peacefully.


	13. Ribbons

Hariel hissed in pain. She had opened her locker and found a letter addressed to her. It confused her, but she had opened it. Razorblades had sliced into her finger. Sucking softly on her injured pointer finger she threw the letter away. 

The emerald-eyed witch made her way towards the changing room. There weren’t a lot of girls around yet, and she tried to change as fast as possible. She didn’t feel comfortable with strangers at her back. She bit her lip uncomfortably as the girls glared at her.

Coach  Ryuzaki was watching the boys train, and so the  buchou of the girl’s tennis club was starting the training. She refrained from glaring at the foreigner, no need to give away who was responsible yet. She smirked, setting everyone to work. 

Hariel’s face was blank. No challenge, none. The training menu was too soft. The exercises were ones she had mastered years ago. The only thing she could work on was her conditioning, but even that was hard with the small amounts of work this club did. She resisted the urge to frown. 

Girls were whispered behind her back and glaring and she was already so tired of this. Why could she never be part of a team. Why was she always an outcast. Hariel eventually chose to just do laps. One of the regulars snickered meanly as she tripped the British girl. Hariel hit the ground hard, gravel digging into her knees, cutting open the skin.

She stood up, ignoring the blood dripping from her knees. “ Oh I’m so sorry. You must not have watched where you were going.” The girl she had beaten before, the Fuji-fangirl was smiling at her insincerely. 

Hariel stoically answered, not willing to give the blonde the pleasure of seeing her hurt. “It’s fine.” She jogged away again.

The regulars on the girl team frowned. They had spotted the newcomer with several regulars and they didn’t like that. Who did they gaijin bitch think she was, to just hug Fuji- sama like  that. To claim to be  Ryoma-sama's sister...  Eiji-sama had even seemed to like her! There was no way they could just allow the little bitch to get away with this.

Hariel kept running, frustrated and hating this. These girls were disrespecting everything tennis stood for. Sportsmanship, skill, fierce matches... they were just messing around, nobody trained seriously, except perhaps for a few first  years she didn’t know and Sakuno-chan. She already regretted signing up for the club.

Ryoma’s team had given her a skewed vision, she had wanted that...

The bird-like Nakamura watched with anger as  Hariel breezed through training. Near the end she casually pushed over the basket containing most of the tennis balls. “Clean that up, second year newcomer.” She ordered roughly, smirking as she dismissed the rest of the club.

Hariel bit her lip and watched them leave. They hated her, and she didn’t know why.

Once the court was empty, she picked up her racket and started scooping up the tennis balls, cleanly hitting them into the basket again. 

* * *

Fuji  frowned, he had been going towards the fountain to drink some water after a practice match against Oishi. He had spotted  Hariel alone on the girl’s courts. She seemed to be picking up what amounted to almost every tennis ball there alone.

As he walked towards her, he passed by the girl’s locker room. Hearing voices snickering meanly he opened his eyes. “That should teach the uppity bitch. Thinking she can just go and seduce Fuji- sama . She should learn her place.” An arrogant girlish voice stated proudly.

He recognized the voice as belonging to Nakamura  Yui , the head of his so-called  fanclub .  So they were targeting  Hariel because she was close to him, and they didn’t even know the half of it yet. He leaned against the wall next to the door, watching sadly as  Hariel continued with the unfairly assigned duty.

“Did you see her running  buchou , she was all arrogant, trying to make us look bad by completing the laps  Ryuzaki -sensei assigned." The door opened, and several of the regulars on the girl’s team walked out, snickering together. 

“Nakamura.” Fuji stated coldly. “F-Fuji-sama.” The bird-like girl stuttered, with his eyes open, the ice-blue chips pinning her down the attractive boy seemed... terrifying all of a sudden.

“If you try to bully Echizen  Hariel the consequences will be... unpleasant, for you.” He stated softly, gently even, if not for the sharp look in cerulean eyes. He radiated a sharp aura which cowed the girls. “B-but Fuji-sama, she’s just a foreigner.” The girl idiotically tried to reason with him.

“Racist whore.” He whispered in her ear, leaning over her. “Never come near her again.” His voice was a deceitfully soft whisper. She flinched, she hadn’t thought that the  tensai even had a mean side, but like this he was... terrifying.

“Good talk, I trust that I made myself clear.” The  tensai of  Seigaku stated ‘kindly’ before leaving them there. He had to return to practice after all.

* * *

Hariel's racket hung by her side in a slack grip. All of the tennis balls were back where they belonged. She didn’t want to give up, but she didn’t want to be somewhere where she wasn’t wanted either. She felt like giving up, quitting the team, was failing. Yet...

She sighed, she could think about it later, she had to go and change so that she could go home with  Ryoma .

In the empty room, she looked at her knees, the bleeding had stopped but she should probably clean those scratches before they became infected. The girl was slowly picking the gravel from her wounds. She didn’t even react to the stinging sensation, she just kept plucking bits and pieces of gravel from her red-tinted knees.

Eventually she cleaned them with peroxide, pretending that the tears were just because the wounds stung... 

Finishing with putting white bandages over her knees, the witch decided to just put on parts of the uniform. No need to adhere to the dress-code after school. A normal bra, panties and the slacks of her uniform, followed by her white dress shirt only it wasn’t buttoned up all the way. She rolled up the sleeves, tying the jacket around her waist.

With her dress shirt not tucked in, her curves didn’t seem so strange. Without the jacket it was very obvious that she was a girl. She didn’t care. It wasn’t like she was pretending to be a  boy, she just didn’t want to put on the stupid girls sailor uniform. Tying up her hair in a loose ponytail, she glances around the club room and wondered what she was even doing here.

Slinging her bag over her shoulder, she left the girls locker room. By the time  Ryoma and Fuji,  Kaidoh and Momoshiro were nearing the gate Hariel was sitting on the low wall, swinging her legs idly.

“ Hariel .”  Ryoma stated slowly. “How was tennis?” She smiled, a lovely expression that seemed so real, the amount of practice she had with this was enormous after all. Sometimes it felt like most of her life before she came to Japan had been about pretending, to be normal, to be fine... “It was fine.”

Fuji frowned, lips turning down slightly. Before anyone could pick up on it though, his usual smile was firmly in place again. If she really wanted to hide what was happening he wouldn’t say anything.

“I’m not sure that the tennis club is for me.” Her light remark was met with a loud exclamation from  Momoshiro . “Is it too hard for you Echizen-chan. I guess you’ll need to work hard to catch up,  haha .” The amethyst-eyed teen was clearly only teasing but  Kaidoh frowned never the less. “Baka, the opposite is more likely. I bet she could outrun you.” He turned towards his training partner. “What is their training menu like?”

“5 laps, three or four exercises, then gossip.” The witch said stoically. “ Sakuno-chan is improving though and I like practicing with her.”  Ryoma raised an eyebrow. “ Wobbly hips ? She’s a complete novice.” He stated in a bored tone, it wasn’t even meant to be mean he was just curious.

Hariel hummed, falling into step with them as the four left the school grounds. “Sure, but she trains very seriously and tries very hard. It’s endearing.” The golden-eyed Echizen nodded, that was indeed commendable.

“So  Ryuzaki-chan is your practice partner?” Fuji asked softly.  Hariel merely nodded. “ Mamushi , why do you think Echizen- chan could outrun me? I mean she was fast when she was running with you Fuji-senpai, but that wasn’t our complete workout routine.”

Fuji smiled lightly. “That wasn’t  Hariel-chan’s full routine either Momo.”  Kaidoh merely hissed, irritated. “ Hariel-chan is good,  don’t be so stupid, idiot.”

The two male second years got into another one of their arguments, leaving Fuji and the two siblings to fall behind them as they sped up in their irritation.  Hariel smiled brightly, they always argued, and yet she had no doubt that if anything  happened they’d be there for each other. They were a true team...

The melancholy hit her hard. The realisation that she had no team, that her dream of a tennis club, of being part of something was already going up in flames made her sad. Distantly  Hariel wondered what was so wrong with her...

Fuji hummed, ignoring Echizen’s glare he wrapped an arm around the female’s waist. She blinked up at him, but didn’t protest. “Will you go shopping with me tomorrow  Hariel-chan ?” He asked out of nowhere. “For clothes?” She asked, curiously. He nodded. “Uhm, okay.” She agreed shyly. She trusted the  tensai and she desperately wanted to get rid of anything that Petunia had bought for her but still. Wasn’t that more for couples?

Then as she felt his body heating seeping into her side, while her magic once more enveloped the slender teen she decided that she didn’t care. Gender rules weren’t for her.

“I’ll come and pick you up around eleven, okay?" She blinked up at him, sharp blue eyes catching her emerald gaze for a long moment. Trying to suppress her blush at having his full attention she nodded. “O-Okay.”

“Saa, so cute.” The older teenager leaned down to whisper in her ear. “You look so pretty with a blush on your face Hariel-chan.” “S-Syusuke-san, I... wha...” She whispered awkwardly, not sure how to respond. Idly the tensai twined one of her curls around his fingers. “Isn’t it Syusuke-senpai now?” He wondered slowly. “Fuji-senpai, what are you doing?” Ryoma asked stoically. The irritating genius was flirting with her, right in front of him!

A smile was sent in his direction, the boy’s eyes once more shaped into half-moons. “I’m arranging a time to go shopping with  Hariel-chan tomorrow Echizen. Did you want to come with us? I’m sure you can help us pick out new clothes for her. Why, you are nearly the same size, you could model skirts for us so she can see what they look like on someone else.” 

Ryoma swallowed nervously, tempted to just inch away from the prodigy. “N-No thanks, I’m sure you two will manage on your own.” He stated, trying to seem indifferent. Hastily he beat a retreat from the conversation before Fuji found a way to wrangle him into wearing girl’s clothing. He caught up to  Kaidoh and  Momoshiro and busily pretended to immediately join their conversation.

Hariel turned her head, muffling her chiming laugh against his chest. “Don’t tease  Ryoma-nii too much S- Syusuke -senpai.” She blushed bright red, she called him by his name either way, so why did senpai seem so much more personal than the generic -san?

Intense ocean coloured eyes watched her closely. “He always reacts so cute though.” The senior murmured gently. Slowly they came to a stop, this was the street where their ways diverged. Slowly, unhurried he pressed a soft loving kiss to her forehead. “I like it when you call me Syusuke-senpai Ha-ri-el-chan.” He teased her sweetly.

Smiling at the way her cheeks brightened once more, he pulled her into a tight hug, plastering their bodies together for a moment. “Tomorrow, 11 o’clock.” With that last reminder, he set off, leaving a dazed girl and three awkward boys behind. 

“Wow, Fuji-senpai really seems to like you huh.”  Momoshiro stated without an ounce of tact.  Ryoma frowned at him. “He always makes  Hariel blush, he’s annoying.” The youngest regular muttered petulantly in response.  Hariel flushed bright red at their comments. “H-He’s just being kind.” She muttered shyly. She was already so invested but she couldn’t always read him and she had been let down so many times before. It was scary to contemplate.

Ryoma sighed,  Hariel always put herself down and this time he couldn’t even correct her without helping Fuji out. Which he refused to do, the damn  tensai was flustering Hariel too much already.

“ Fsshhh ...”  Kaidoh awkwardly looked away. He knew that  Hariel probably liked Fuji and vice versa but seeing it was still a little bit much for the shy boy. “See you tomorrow morning Hariel-chan.” Hariel, coming out of her daze, leaned against him for a moment, they weren’t quite at the level of hugs yet but probably soon. She hoped so at least. Hariel adored hugs from her friends. 

“Bye Kaoru-kun. See you tomorrow.” She answered happily, waving as he jogged away.

Momoshiro watched for a moment. “Wow, I’ve never seen  mamushi so friendly before.” “He’s really nice. I think he’s just shy.”  Hariel stated kindly. She saw the green-eyed brunet as one of her closest friends. Her fellow introvert could be very wise even if he never said much.

“Mamushi, shy? But that snake is always so grumpy.” Momoshiro spoke up wonderingly. Ryoma grinned. “No Kaidoh-senpai really is just shy I think. When Nanako met  him she mentioned that first she thought he was intimidating but then she saw that he was blushing and realised he was shy."

Momoshiro grinned. “Echizen, Echizen- chan , this is my street.” The siblings waved at him. 

* * *

Ryoma turned to  Hariel . “Are you getting used to school?” His tone was stoic, but his golden eyes were worried.

Hariel smiled at her older brother. Claiming one his arms she answered.  Ryoma made a grumpy noise, but made no move whatsoever to shake her off. It was always a good thing in his opinion if  Hariel reached out. 

“I think so. The crowds are still hard to get used to, but it is getting easier every day. I just avoid the hell out of them for the most part. Tanaka-sensei is very stern, but also very fair. I like that...”

A distant look appeared on her face for a moment. “Better stern then prejudiced, or playing favourites.” She stated lowly, almost as if she was talking to herself.  Ryoma frowned, there wasn’t much he could say to that. Sometimes conversations with  Hariel felt like minefields. There were just so many bad memories in her past.

“Ah  Seishonen ,  bishoujo . You’re home.”  Nanjirou called out cheerfully as they entered their house. “How was school?”  Hariel blinked. “It was okay, I helped Kaoru- kun with English.”  Nanjirou frowned, an overdone more comical then grumpy expression. “A boy, you have class with a boy? Who is he, he isn’t coming onto you right? Not like that annoying tensai kid?”

Ryoma grinned. “She’s going out with Fuji-senpai tomorrow.”  Hariel frowned at him as  Nanjirou descended into entertaining if annoying hysterics.  Ryoga showed up behind the man as if drawn by the noise like a moth to a flame. “Ah,  chibisuke , chibi-chan.”

“ Tou-chan ,  Syusuke -senpai is going shopping with me tomorrow. It isn’t a date.” She stated firmly, a small pang of disappointment making her push down the urge to frown. “I should hope not.”  Ryoga stated, frowning. “Hariel-chibi, we just got you, I don’t want to lose you to Fuji. Stay an Echizen chibi-chan, don’t marry him.”

Ryoma and  Hariel’s eyebrows climbed higher and higher as they watched the two oldest Echizen males  cry in a corner. “That escalated quickly.”  Hariel stated stoically. “Ah Hari-dear,  Ryoma .”  Rinko called out as she also entered the house. She hugged her daughter, and then her son.

Blinking in surprise she watched the spectacle  Ryoga and  Nanjirou were creating by sulking together. “What’s going on?”  Hariel sighed lowly, resisting the urge to grin. Her family was very silly but they were so warm and they cared so much. She still had moments where she was almost overwhelmingly grateful to them for adopting her.

“ Kaa-chan , don’t let  chibi-chan become a Fuji.”  Ryoga stated dramatically.  Rinko’s eyebrows rose, a replica of  Ryoma and  Hariel’s earlier reaction. “ Syusuke -senpai and I are going shopping tomorrow.”  Hariel explained briefly.  Ryoma added to the conversation as well, if only to ridicule his father and older brother. “They thought it was a date and somehow that amounts to marriage,  oyaji and  niisan are stupid.” He said dryly.

Rinko could only shake her head, her husband was such an idiot sometimes.  Ryoga took after him, while  Ryoma and  Hariel were more like her, sensible... thankfully.

* * *

Hariel yawned as she rolled out of bed. After pondering some more on her tennis club  issue she had gotten nowhere with it. She did fall asleep late though. She quickly got dressed in her workout clothes before she descended the stairs.

Rinko was already up, but it was the weekend and so she was the only one. The rest of the family was still sleeping. 

“Hari-Dear, did you sleep well?”  Rinko asked her as she walked into the kitchen.  Hariel hummed, then she nodded. “What about you kaa-chan?” She asked genuinely interested, Rinko smiled at her daughter, she was such a sweetheart.

Tucking one of her daughters stray curls behind her elfin ear she replied. “I slept well sweetheart. So, what are you doing?”  Hariel blinked, she was filling her water bottle while munching on an apple. “I’m going for a run with Kaoru- kun .” “Oh, do you like him?”  Hariel easily nodded her head. “He’s my friend, my magic claimed him a while ago. The bond is pretty strong though.” 

Rinko’s eyebrows rose. She didn’t know a lot about magic but bonds... that sounded permanent. “Bonds?”  Hariel finished chewing the last of her apple before replying. “My magic is  independent, it has taken a liking to several people...” She blushed. “Some more so than others.”

“Are bonds permanent?”  Hariel nodded. “If everything goes well, they are. They are considered sacred, a gift from magic. Doesn’t mean you love these people  more, it just draws me to some people faster than normal. A sign of fate so to say.” 

Rinko nodded thoughtfully. As  Hariel sat down in the hallway to tug on her shoes she came up behind her. Softly carding a hand through the loose waves of blue-black hair she smiled at  Hariel as the girl looked up in question. “I’m glad that you are making friends here in Japan.”

“You know what, so am I  kaa-chan , so am I.”

* * *

Hariel waved at  Kaidoh , who nodded grumpily at the rapidly  approaching girl. “Kaoru- kun , hi.” “ Fsshhh , hello.”

They set of at a steady pace. Eventually  Hariel posed a question which had been bugging her. “Do... do you ever get annoyed at our classmates for their comments?”

Kaidoh looked thoughtful, it was only two streets later that he actually answered the question.  Hariel was used to his taciturn ways and had been waiting peacefully.

“No. I have friends and senpai who seem to...” He blushed, awkwardly glancing away from  Hariel’s sweet face. “Well, like me, for who I am.”

Hariel hummed. “I’m glad.” She  frowned, it was a surprisingly harsh expression for a young girl’s face. “I was really mad when I heard them talking about you. They don’t know you at all, and then Momo-chan said something stupid about you being grumpy all the time. But you are always so kind.” She said indignantly.

Kaidoh blushed bright red. “T-Thanks...” The brunet frowned for a moment, before speaking up. “I can’t get my boomerang snake to work consistently. It’s good enough for doubles, but not for singles.”  Hariel hummed thoughtfully. “Perhaps you could ask Inui-senpai? He seems like he might be able to calculate what is going wrong.”

Kaidoh hummed thoughtfully. “ Fsshhh , if I don’t succeed.”  Hariel nodded, it was his choice. She was just glad that he felt like he could come to her with problems. She blinked when she realised that he wasn’t running beside her anymore. Glancing  back she smiled when she spotted  Kaidoh petting a small cat. “Cute.” She mumbled softly, waiting patiently.

* * *

Hariel had showered and double checked that she had everything she needed, keys wallet phone. She had on jeans with a simple t-shirt and she was waiting  nervously for the clock to strike eleven.

Half past ten she called Yukimura in a mild panic. “Senpai, what do I do. What if I was supposed to dress better, I don’t have anything better then jeans. What if he thinks I’m a snob for buying essentially a whole new wardrobe? What if he doesn’t show up?!”

A soft chuckle echoed over the line. “Relax  Hariel , I’m fairly sure hell would freeze over before Fuji- kun stands you up. I’m sure that he won’t judge you.” Yukimura’s voice softened. “You’ll be fine, I’m sure you will have a nice date with him.”  Hariel glared at her phone, face bright red. “Senpai! It’s not a date. We are only going shopping.”

She could picture him smiling, she could hear it in his voice, he was holding back his laugh. “Maybe next time then, I suppose that would be too fast for you.” Occupied as she was with Yukimura’s teasing she jumped up, startled when the bell rang. 

“Ah, your date is here. Have a nice day Hariel.” “Senpai! Ah well.” She quickly walked to the door, she had no wish to let her dad or brother greet Fuji. He did not deserve that. “Thank you, for distracting me.” “Anytime, bye now.” The click of the phoneline echoed for a moment. In a room halfway across the city, a blue-haired boy smiled happily.

Tucking her phone into a pocket, she breathed in deeply, and opened the door. 

For a single moment, time froze. It was Fuji, but... he was wearing a dress.  Hariel flushed, Fuji looked... cute. She knew he was attractive, but she had rarely seen him out of his uniform.

Her senpai was wearing converse paired with a legging, it highlighted slender long legs. His dress stopped halfway down his thighs, it was a blue  a-line dress, nipping in a little bit above his hips, creating an illusion of wider hips and a smaller waist. With a slightly too big white hoodie unzipped he looked... pretty.

“S- Syusuke -senpai... you, you look really pretty.”  Hariel mumbled shyly, face bright red. The boy smiled gently. “Good morning Hariel-chan. Thank you.” The full power of those highly intense ocean blue orbs hit her all at once, paired with the unexpected very pretty visual reduced her to a stuttering wreck.

Bright red, she awkwardly tried not to stare. The hoodie hid his too flat chest and with his half-long honey hair shining warmly under the sun he made a very beautiful girl. While he tugged her half-stunned form along Hariel was trying to control her blush. “Y-You’re beautiful.” She didn’t even notice that she said it. 

Fuji looked back at her, amused. It was good that her reaction to his little cross-dressing stunt had been so... favourable. “Saa, I’m almost starting to think that you might like me better as a girl. Should I dress in the sailor uniform if I want your attention?” He teased her lightly, not really expecting a response.

Hariel’s face burned, she was almost radiating heat, her cheeks glowing bright red. The thought of Fuji in a really short skirt, with a ribbon bound around his throat was... Fuji swallowed as he spotted her darkening orbs, those red cheeks glowing... Maybe he really should...

She tried to focus. “I always think you are beautiful.” She mumbled out shyly. “Girl clothing just... highlights it more than  Seigaku’s uniform.” She confessed shyly. Which was true, she could follow the long lines of those slender legs like this and the dress showed of his figure, unfairly attractive, very well.

Hariel’s thoughts on beauty might not quite line up with what was considered normal but she could certainly appreciate his beauty. Whether that crossed gender lines in any way didn’t matter to her. Fuji was Fuji, girl or boy.

Fuji followed her into the department’s girl section without a second thought. Nobody stopped him, for all the world they looked like two girls, one a tomboy, being helped by her more girlish friend.

Since Fuji’s voice had always hovered in the sweet alto-tenor range he didn’t even draw attention when he spoke up. “So, do you have a starting point for what type of clothes you like?” She shook her head shyly. “N-No. I always wore uniforms or the clothes my aunt bought for me.” She didn’t like admitting it, but she didn’t want to lie to him and she trusted him not to make a fuss.

Fuji frowned for a split-second, the implications... He smiled lightly at  her, she needed a happy day out with the girls  harassing her. He had all the time in the world to learn more about her.

“Well, then we can just grab everything you even remotely like and then we can go through it all. I have time.” He told her gently. She smiled up at him shyly. “Okay. Thank you. Again, truly.” She swallowed emotionally, hugging him tightly for a moment, taking him by surprise, she gave him a beautiful smile, and then she bounced off to the racks filled with clothes.

Over an hour later they had managed to rule out hot pink, eye-searing orange and several types of clothing styles. Hariel frowned up at him, and Fuji had to consciously resist kissing away the cute grumpy expression. “These clothes are all... very standard.” She admitted softly. 

She had found some things she liked, but not many. She hadn’t even tried anything out yet. They were going through all the available options with a fine-toothed comb. 

Then... she found something she genuinely loved. It was a dress, and the colour only matched one thing as far as she knew. His eyes. The cerulean, sea tinted fabric was flowy. It was short, and it had a pretty white ribbon tying the front shut, like a corset. The straps were thin and the skirt flared out. It was perfect. 

“This one.” Fuji tilted his head, amused and  possessively pleased when he realised that the colour was extremely familiar. It was something he saw every time he looked in the mirror. “Go try it on.” He told her softly. She nodded and went to the changing room.

Five minutes lately she mumbled out softly through the door. “I... I really like it.” Fuji cocked his head, intensely curious. He almost desperately wanted to see her. “Can I see?” He asked softly. With a click the door unlocked, he pushed it open and his breath was promptly stolen away.

Thin straps showing of the delicate curve of pale shoulder, the long line of her neck. He followed the straps  down, they followed the slight curve of her collar bones. The cerulean fabric was tight around her bust, the white ribbons corded shut, allowing him to see the fabric clinging to her curves.

The dress flared around hips, the slinky fabric highlighting her petite waist. He nearly groaned when he realised that the dress stopped at her mid-thigh and he could see miles of her pale slender legs... naked.

He tried to control himself, and gave her plenty of time to back away from him as he prowled closer.  Hariel’s eyes only darkened, a pink tongue darting out subconsciously to wet her lips.

Slowly, carefully, his hands came to rest on her slim naked shoulders. When she still didn’t pull away at all, and instead seemed to be blushing while she looked him right in the eye, he kissed her. Slotting his lips over hers, he tentatively pressed a soft kiss against that tempting pretty, too pretty mouth. Hariel moaned when Fuji kissed her, shyly resting her hands against his hard chest.

Fuji licked into her mouth, claiming the girl as thoroughly as he could with just a kiss. He deepened the kiss further, biting on her soft bottom lip, just a little nip. He sucked on her tongue, winding one arm around her waist when he felt her knees shake. Slipping one leg between her thighs, he pinned her against the wall. 

“S- Syuu ...” His name dissolved into a moan when he kissed her again, twining their tongues together.  Hariel moaned helplessly. With a muscled thigh between her legs, holding her up, pressing against her and that hot mouth stealing all rational thought she could only hang on. 

Fuji’s darkened eyes took in the position of the girl he wanted... in every single way. With the pretty cerulean dress bunched up high around her thighs, he could feel her heat against his thigh, warm legs clamping around his leg. The straps had slipped of her shoulders at some point. Her mouth was red and swollen, glistening... she looked thoroughly out of it. Her tiny hands were clenched in his dress and he wanted nothing more than to keep kissing her. Her eyes were darker than normal and slightly hazy as she panted slightly.

They were unfortunately  nominally in public though.

Slowly he leaned his forehead against hers, watching her dark green eyes ever so slowly clear and focus. Her cheeks just burned hotter. Wrapping both of his hands around her waist, he carefully supported her still slightly shaky frame even as he slowly shifted his leg away. “If only we weren’t in public.” The whisper was a breath of hot moist air skating over her ear.

As the heat curling in her tummy slowly simmered  down she awkwardly tried not to look at her too pretty senpai. “I will give you the dress.” It was an order, and not one she was going to refuse.

The two teens tried on a whole bunch of other clothes, and the hot simmer which had flared to life between them was left in the background.  Hariel trusted this boy, and even if it hadn’t been asked, he had waited for her permission. 

She laughed as he smiled at her gently, coming out of the fitting room next to her. He was wearing a pale pink dress, and had actually added a white metal hair band as well. She walked up to him and hugged him, for once just happy in an uncomplicated manner. Something about him made her feel so safe. “Cool. I was right, even in a pink dress you are still Syusuke-senpai, and you are amazing. You look good.” She told him, sincerely.


	14. Stamina

Dropping into the chair across from Fuji, she dropped all of the bags beneath the table. “My feet ache.” She whined childishly. “Saa, should I carry you back home then?” Fuji teased gently.  Hariel blushed a very pretty pink at the mere idea of being that close to him again. She hadn’t been as self-conscious of personal space and her body before, but she wasn’t as naïve as she sometimes appeared. Dense maybe, but now that he had kissed her so fiercely, she was well aware that she was very much attracted to him.

“What may I get you two, ladies?” A young man who probably thought he was being smooth asked them, he was clearly a waiter. Fuji’s sharp blue eyes pinned him in place as he answered with an icy polite voice. “I’ll have the chocolate and lime cake, and ice-water.” He could probably stand to cool down, this boy was annoying.

Hariel frowned, claiming Fuji’s hand as if reassuring him that she was there for him without even understanding why. “Strawberry cake, and water as well please.” She added, polite but distant. Seeing the waiter unapologetically checking out Fuji, made her frown. “That’s all.” She dismissed him seemingly polite, the Brit in her, but firmly.

“Ne, senpai, do you like dressing in girl’s clothes?”  Hariel asked curiously. Fuji smiled at  Hariel , she was very kind. He could see that she honestly had nothing against his current attire. “It doesn’t matter. Clothes are clothes, and I’m male whatever I wear. I don’t care what others perceive me as. Today for example, the misjudgement was for our own benefit.” He answered whimsically.

Hariel hummed in understanding, she didn’t particularly care either. “Hm, I don’t think I would mind if people thought I was a boy. I know I’m a girl, and so do you... and my family and friends. Which is all that matters.” Fuji nodded, gentle smile more real today, eyes closing in soft curves.

“Wise.” He commented. “Are there other things you want to do that would be easier if we both appear to be female?” He asked curiously.  Hariel hummed, she was still holding his hand, and Fuji’s slender hand was deceptively strong. “I don’t know, why?” She turned the question back on him. 

The pale boy idly and unhurried lifted her hand to press his lips to her wrist. For others it looked like a sweet gesture, almost sisterly affection. For Hariel, who felt the flicker of a hot tongue over her veins it was quite different. She tried not to turn bright red, again, but it was a complete lost cause when she felt him capture her calf between his own legs. 

“I might invest in some female clothes, or androgynous. The dress is Yumiko- neesan's . As is the legging. The rest is just mine though. If I am going out with you again dressed as a girl, I should probably buy some clothes which I chose myself.” He told her gently, a kind smile lingering on his face.

Hariel frowned lightly. “You don’t have  to, I don’t mind going anywhere with you when you dress as a boy either. You don’t have to become a cross-dresser just to make me more comfortable.” It was well known that Hariel hated attention of almost every kind. Fuji stood up, plucked her smaller frame from her chair and promptly sat down again with her in his lap. Slowly he spoke into her ear, these topics were probably not entirely appropriate in public.

“The idea occurred to me when you looked at the girls we saw together with longing, but Hariel.” Slender fingers wound through her wavy hair, pulling hard enough to force her to look him in the eyes. Stormy ocean blue capturing her gaze until they became her whole world. 

“You never forced me into anything. You never would. You probably never even considered the idea. I did this because I wanted to give you an experience you seemed to long for. I didn’t change anything about myself. Maybe others might not see it that way, but for me this is just as comfortable as my usual clothing.” 

“I’m not so frail and self-conscious in my masculinity that I care about the clothes I wear. I’ve never cared for the opinion of others either. You know that. You were just the catalyst that reminded me that there are clothes meant for women that I might enjoy as well, so why shouldn’t I wear those?”

He gave her a sweet  eskimo kiss. “Never let anyone change you, or limit you.”  Hariel nodded. “I want to go to the boy’s section with you at some point then." She told him, voice steadily becoming more confident as she accepted his words as true. “Maybe they have clothes I like." He nodded. “If we pin up your hair, and you wear your school uniform we can do that without any trouble.”

“Here are your orders.” The same waiter appeared with their cake and water. He looked between them, looking them over very obviously. “Can I have your number, miss?” He asked Fuji ‘suavely’. “No.” He didn’t even turn to look at the idiot. “You bitch, parading around in your short dress and then being so cold, admit it you just want attention from the guys.”

Hariel hopped up from Fuji’s lap, who leaned back, more than content to let her deal with this. It was attractive to see her emerald eyes flashing with temper.

“Woman aren’t there for you. She could be naked and uninterested in you and you’d still be a pathetic loser who needs to back off. Leave.” Apparently the manager had been attracted by the altercation, and the waiter was quickly removed from their vicinity.  Hariel made to walk back to her own seat, but Fuji, quick as a snake tugged her back into his lap with a languid move that hid the strength behind the movement.

“Saa, where do you think you are going angel.” Attempting to be stoic, she merely looked away. “Nowhere.” It was hard to try and keep her composure with him curled around her. She was hyper aware of the strong arms caging her in, the toned powerful body hiding her from the world.

He nipped her ear teasingly. That same grounding claiming hand was in her hair again, and feeling the tight grip he had on her hair, she relaxed against him, all the tension leaving her. Fuji felt  Hariel’s tiny frame melt into him, all the worry seeming to drain away from her, leaving her a puddle in his lap. Almost sleepily she tucked her head against his neck. 

He could feel her breath skating over his skin as her eyelashes fluttered over his neck. “Here.” She hummed, sipping the glass of cold water as she held it with both hands. Like this she seemed young. 

“What do you want do now, Fujiko- chan ?” The boy hummed, the sound rumbling pleasantly through her own body as well because she was leaning against his chest. “I’d like to buy another cactus.” He admitted eventually.  Hariel’s eyes crinkled happily at the corners. “Okay.”

Soon enough, they gathered up  Hariel’s new clothes again, several bags hanging of their arms as they left the tiny café. Fuji guided  Hariel towards one of his favourite stores with a warm hand on the small of her back.

Hariel watched as Fuji slowly wandered past the small cacti section of the gardening store. She was content to wander after the older teenager. The way he was so clearly charmed by the small hardy plants was nice. He had picked up several species and looked at several pots before finally selecting a tiny deep green cactus to put into a small dark blue nearly black pot. 

As subtly as she could, she picked up several small cacti and pots. She wanted to thank him for coming with her and being so patient with her waffling around over new clothes. She paid for them quickly while he looked around for a new plant  mister .

They left the store around dinner time, and without even discussing it they set off towards the Echizen’s house.

Hariel had changed into some of her new clothes and together they looked like two incredibly beautiful teenage girls out together. Which was nearly correct anyway. Hariel’s style ended up being eclectic more than anything else. She borrowed from several styles and hated or loved clothes seemingly without reason. It was never an entire style, or a type of fabric, or even some prints.

She had picked out a black legging, short jeans and a simple long-sleeved black t-shirt with a print of stars. Fuji had pinned a black-silk fake flower into her hair. She appeared quirky but it suited her. Hariel was far from bland, and her clothes hadn’t been doing her justice at all.

Rinko smiled as she saw her daughter coming up the steps from the window. She blinked in confusion when she spotted the girl walking next to her and then she had a quiet laugh when she figured out that no, that wasn’t a girl at all, that was  Hariel’s Fuji- kun . Those sly kids...

* * *

Hariel unlocked the door and gleefully let go of all of her bags. Fuji added the bags he had been carrying for her to the pile. Without a second thought,  Hariel dragged the boy along to the kitchen. Absently she gave him a glass of cool water as she gulped down the water herself.  Ryoma , who had been utterly trashed by  Nanjirou walked in to get his own glass, and then froze.

Hariel had hopped onto the kitchen counter, while Fuji leaned against her. He had just set down his own empty glass. For  Ryoma the vision was... surprising.  Hariel was wearing clothes which actually fit, and so her curves were on display. He knew she was a girl but it had never really been highlighted. Then he saw the other girl, they looked... sweet together. Until he registered that the honey hair was familiar...

Wide golden eyes, and a gaping mouth prompted  Hariel to snicker. She tried to muffle her laughter against Fuji’s shoulder, but it didn’t quite work. “Saa Echizen, you look like you’ve seen a ghost.” Fuji commented, teasing the boy for his shock. “Senpai... what the hell?!” It disturbed him somewhat that he found Fuji to be very cute. Mostly because he did not want to find the sadistic teen in any way attractive.

Hariel wound her arms around Fuji’s shoulders, at ease with him so close in a way she rarely was with people. She snickered and leaned her weight against him as the laughter bubbled up. Fuji tilted  Hariel’s face to the side, pressing his cheek against hers he smiled sweetly. “Don’t you think we look cute together Echizen?” He asked, appearing faintly insulted. 

As if that was the problem here,  Ryoma thought somewhat hysterical. “Why are you dressed as a girl Fuji-senpai?” He asked bluntly. He already knew he’d never be able to weasel an answer out of the mysterious tensai, so blunt was the only chance he had.

“Saa I wonder...” Already utterly done with the way the two seemed determined to break his reality he walked out again.

Hariel was still snickering faintly against his neck. Fuji shivered at the feeling of her hot breath skating over the sensitive skin. Her body was pressed close to his. “ Chibi-chan you... are... home...”  Ryoga had stepped into the kitchen, and was now just as shocked as  Ryoma had been minutes before. His baby sister was wrapped around some unknown girl. She was wearing fitting clothes and her giggle was bright and happy.

“Who’s she?” He asked curiously. Perhaps his baby sister had finally followed his advice and made a female friend? He was sorely disappointed when a familiar voice answered instead. “ Ryoga -san... don’t you recognize me? I’m hurt.” He very clearly wasn’t.

“Fu...ji?” The currently female looking boy nodded. “Right... uhm. Why are you dressed like that?” Sharp blue eyes were hidden from view, gentle half-moons and a soft smile were gleaming up at him almost like a trap. “Saa... I wonder.”

More than familiar with the Fuji family’s sense of humour, which seemed to have skipped only  Yuuta ,  Ryoga decided to retreat to preserve his sanity. He ruffled  Hariel’s hair in the way out. “You look nice,  chibi -chan.” He complimented her sincerely, and the smile he got in return was radiant.

Rinko breezed into the kitchen right after he left. “Fuji- kun , you look nice. I like your new look  Hariel , it’s far more you then your old clothes." The boy smiled. “Thank you,  Rinko -san.”  Hariel smiled at her mom. “Thank you.” She was pleased, she felt like she had reclaimed something fierce, something uniquely herself.

Petunia had always tried to smother her into the background. To destroy her before she even had a chance to get started. Reclaiming herself from the harsh comments and psychological damage inflicted by the bitter woman was a work in progress, but she was proud to say that she was making progress.

“Shall I help you carry your clothes to your room?” The question was innocent, the twinkle in deep blue... not so much.  Hariel nodded. In silence they gathered the bags, and ascended the staircase.  Hariel hesitantly opened the door. In  the months since the room had become her domain more and more of her personality was becoming visible in the décor, she wondered what he would read from her belongings.

Fuji glanced around in interest.  Hariel’s room was painted soft blue and violet. Her bed was a metal frame, with a blanket on it that had starry night stars on it. The swirls of yellow-green-blue were soothing. With the hardwood flooring and the old  trunk it made for a strange room. Caught between antique and new. It was charmingly off-beat like her. 

He smiled when he spotted the  picture he had given her. It was the only frame on her walls. In different frames, some wooden, some elaborate, some simple, some silver, some gold, were pictures. Scattered all over her room. Of her parents, both adopted and blood. Of Hermione, of  Ryoma and Ryoga. A sketch of Hedwig was framed as well. There were even a few pictures of Yukimura. 

Slowly he set down the bags. Fierce green eyes caught his cerulean blue as she very deliberately closed the door. He slowly walked towards her, eyes already tinting darker with desire. “You are playing with fire.”

Hariel stepped forward, it wasn’t in her nature to be passive, and she desperately wanted to be close to him. That she could see her own desire reflected in him spurred her on. She pulled him to the bed, and when he sank down onto the mattress, he pulled her along. She ended up sprawled all over his lean frame.

She giggled sweetly as the waterfall of blue-black waves shielded their faces from the world. The sound faded as his hand on her neck pulled her down into a sweet kiss. She sighed against the soft lips. “Syusuke-senpai...” He groaned at the sound of his name on her lips.

In a flash he was hovering over her instead. With one knee high between her thighs and his hands holding him up over her he leaned down to kiss her. Quickly the kiss deepened, becoming an emotionally charged soft, wet deep kiss.

Tiny hands gripped onto the fabric covering his slender back. Green eyes stared up at him, wide green eyes, solely focussed on him. He revelled in claiming her full attention. Unhurried, his tongue swept over her bottom lip. She opened her mouth for him, like a flower blooming for the sun.

Tongues twined together in a dance, his weight slowly settling over her tiny frame. Trustingly, easily she spread her legs wider to make room for him. He was careful not to lean to much of his weight on her, but she only seemed to relax the more she became trapped.

Curiously he stopped holding himself up, and Hariel... curled her arms around his waist. Soft lips pressed against his skin, just below his ear. Kitten licks were flickering over his skin as she contently curled her legs around his, feet pressing flat against his calves.

“You... like this." A tentative statement. Curious deep blue, satisfied to have her so completely relaxed beneath him. She nodded, kissing his mouth softly, a mere peck of the lips. “Safe.” She was completely covered by his taller frame, utterly pressed into the  mattress beneath his weight, and it made her feel so safe and wanted...

The hum that vibrated through his chest echoed through her frame. “I could fall asleep like this.”  Hariel mentioned idly. For all the passion between them, it was banked, and not even the slow simmer of heat which he always ignited in her could make her move. The utter safety, every last bit of tension unwinding from her normally too tense frame was so overwhelming that she merely floated along. Warm and so far away.

Hariel kissed over his warm skin, trailing a line of sweet tiny kisses from below his ear lower over his neck. Pulling aside the hoodie and part of the dress, she curiously licked a slow trail over the pretty stretch of pale skin she had just revealed.

Fuji took of the white fabric encasing his slender form. In response  Hariel glided her fingers from his shoulder blades down over his arms to the tips of his fingers. He nearly shuddered beneath the soft questing fingers.

She could affect him so easily.  Hariel was unlike anybody he had ever met. Open and honest, and reticent to a fault. Introverted but so giving to her friends. Sad and too old and yet so childishly, innocently pleased with the little things. A mind full of angles at odds with everything she should have been. He never could predict her.

Catching her tiny hand, with the elegant slender fingers, he curiously kissed her palm. Then he kissed her fingertips, before slowly winding his tongue over the small digits.  Hariel sighed out in pleasure at the feeling of a hot tongue twining over her sensitive fingers. 

When he shifted slightly to the side, leaving her still pinned under the majority of his weight she opened her eyes to stare up at him curiously. Blue, deep like the ocean, deep enough to drown in, met her emerald green. Slowly he pushed up her shirt to just under her breasts. He stroked the long stretch of pale skin revealed to his gaze.

A toned stomach, pants set low enough on her hips that her hipbones were  bared to him as well. Waist small and wider hips, tentatively he stroked the bared skin. A warm strong hand gliding over her skin soothingly.  Hariel pressed her face into his neck. Breathing softly against his warmth. Breath hitching slightly when he stroked her hipbone. 

His hand was curled around the curve of her waist, slowly he started kissing a line from below her jaw... lower and lower. Until he could nip her collarbones. She could feel the heat in her stomach flaring to life. A slow coil of heat. Her magic was so densely woven around his frame she was almost surprised he didn’t see it. Thick coils of hot power were  undulating over his body and it felt so good.

When he claimed her lips for another kiss, it wasn’t nearly as soft and slow anymore. He claimed her mouth fiercely, and bit her lip. It was a hot messy kiss. Desire and passion wrapped up in trust and fire. Tongues tangled together as his lips slanted over hers. Clever fingers brushed over the underside of her breast and she moaned, whining high in her throat. 

Instinctively her legs curled around his waist tightly. She laced her fingers through his, as if holding his hand tightly enough could keep her grounded in the face of the overwhelming feelings he was creating in her.

Fuji groaned, her skin was so soft and warm. Her curves were pressed against his frame and her slender legs were curling around him tightly. He held the tiny hand slipping into his tightly. He sucked on her tongue, trailing teasing feather soft touches over the warm skin of the girl who had been his obsession for a long time now.

It was his turn to moan when she started trailing hot messy kisses down the side of his neck. 

The spell was broken abruptly when  Rinko called them for dinner. Fuji sighed against her neck, the hot wash of air sending a mild shiver through her frame. She tried to  breath deeply and even, letting the hot flame simmer back into coals slowly. Eventually he smiled almost ruefully and carefully pulled her along as he slowly sat up. 

Carefully he guided her from the room, warm hand like a brand on her back even through her clothes. Fuji belatedly remembered that his white hoodie was still on her bed, but decided to just ignore it. The idea of her wearing it was a tempting one. Something almost dark and  possessive purred deep in his chest at the mere idea.

* * *

Most of the Echizen’s were staring at  Hariel and Fuji. The sight they made was... a head trip and a half. Like two delicate beautiful girls. Slender bodies which hid a wealth of coiled up power and a lot of skill.  Nanjirou idly felt sorry for the poor sod who thought these two to be weak little girls.  Hariel was a spitfire on a good day and Fuji would likely fuck with them until they were psychologically scarred for life.

“Saa,  Ryoga -san.  Oneesan has been quite happy lately.”  Ryoga froze, with his spoon halfway to his mouth.  Hariel glanced between them, she had forgiven him for the deception but well...

The look on Fuji’s face was  more whimsical and kind then angry, but  Ryoga swallowed dryly when he caught a flash of sharp ice blue. “Oh, do you know Fuji’s sister  Ryoga ?”  Rinko asked curiously. The Samurai wiggled his eyebrows. “ Ooooh , are you dating Fuji’s sister. Does she look just like him?”

Ryoma wished he had his cap to hide behind, Fuji was too clever for this to be an accident. He wondered what  Ryoga had done to piss off the sly teen.

“I didn’t know you were keeping it a secret, sorry  sorry ." Fuji declared ‘sincerely’.  Ryoga nearly sighed, well played Fuji, well played. Message understood, don’t do anything stupid regarding Hariel. Truly, his sister had acquired a terrifying guardian angel... or rather, guardian demon.

“Yes, I am dating his older sister, she’s in several of my classes. Yumiko- chan and I... we’re a recent development." The oldest Echizen sibling admitted warily.

He was promptly thoroughly interrogated ( Rinko ) and teased ruthlessly ( Nanjirou ). “ Niisan , does that mean that you find Fuji-senpai attractive right now?”  Ryoma asked casually. Golden eyes widened in panic. That brat, there was no good way to answer. Yumiko and Fuji were very clearly related, and he did look a lot like his sister right now...

Hariel leaned against the scheming  tensai . “Thanks." She whispered softly into his ear. She had caught the play he made and was somehow not even angry. It was nice that someone would stand up for her. Beneath the table, Fuji gently caught her hand,  squeezing it softly. “Echizen can be unexpectedly devious.” He commented, amused. 

Hariel snorted, green eyes glued to  Ryoga who was stammering  awkwardly beneath gleeful golden eyes which mirrored his. “Niichan can be very clever, when he can be bothered to take note of something not-tennis.” She mentioned in turn. Ryoma was incredibly smart, but he really only had a passion for tennis.

Silently  Hariel watched the chaos Fuji had oh so casually unleashed. She was content, and his presence right beside her created a happy fluttering feeling inside her. Out of nowhere, she asked him. “ Syusuke -senpai, will you play another match against me? I want to improve my tennis and different opponents are always  interesting .” She grinned, something innocent and sweet in her expression, her sheer delight in tennis simmering through.

He nodded before he was even aware of it, anything for her. “I don’t have my racket. Tomorrow?” He asked almost regretfully. She nodded, sated with the promise.  Ryoma frowned almost jealously, then he thought back to  Hariel’s little comment the day before. That the tennis club might not be for her, and suddenly he didn’t feel jealous at all. He felt sad, because he had a team who challenged him and supported him and she... did not.

After dinner  Rinko shoed the teenagers to the living room. “Guests don’t need to help, and Hari-dear you help often enough.” Fuji sat down right beside her, almost crowding her into a corner of the couch.  Hariel merely twisted around, leaning her back against the arm rest. Fuji pulled her slender legs over his lap. 

“When do you need to be home?”  Hariel asked regretfully. She did not want him to go, did not want to see him leave.

“I have a couple of hours still." He answered softly, claiming one of her tiny powerful hands. She nearly crumpled further into the couch from sheer relief. “Say Fuji, are you a cross-dresser?”  Ryoga asked, sitting down right beside the prodigy. The smaller tennis player didn’t feel intimidated in the slightest. 

“No.” He answered truthfully. “I don’t particularly care about clothes, if switching to a dress works in my advantage why not?” He asked almost philosophically. “Don’t you feel strange dressed like that?” The college student asked, slightly weirded out.  Hariel snorted, she still didn’t see the need for gender norms. To her it would have made more sense if clothes were just clothes and for everyone. Girl or boy, skirt or jeans, what did it matter.

“No. Why  Ryoga -san, would wearing a dress make you feel emasculated? Don’t worry about me, I’m not as fragile as you are." The sadistic teenager smiled at him angelically. “ So you really don’t feel  embarrassed at all?” It was rare for a boy his age to be so overwhelmingly comfortable with himself. 

A sharp grin curled around his pale pink lips. “Should I be?"  Ryoma snorted from where he had been following the discussion. “Give it up  niisan , Fuji-senpai is far too amused by the world to ever be threatened into following the rules.” “Saa Echizen, so true. You know me so well. You are such a sweet  kou hai." The prodigy never could pass up an opportunity to needle to team’s baby. But like always, it was all in good fun.

Hariel fell asleep between one breath and the next. Lulled into soft warm dreams by trusted voices and strong hands  caressing her legs.

Fuji had felt her fell asleep, but he didn’t stop his discussion with her brothers. It was funny to tease them and they were always so delightfully bratty and blunt. Almost as good as teasing Yuuta...

“ Oh did  bishoujo fall asleep?"  Nanjirou had stuck his head around the corner to check in on the kids. Unexpectedly coming across a cute scene.  Hariel was curled into a corner of the couch, legs askew over Fuji while the prodigy talked with  Ryoga who was sitting right next to him.  Ryoma speaking up from time to time from where he was curled up like a cat in the armchair.

“Yes." Fuji answered softly, a tender look on his face. He shifted slightly and then he stood up.  Hariel was cradled against him, an arm around her back and under her knees holding her up easily. Her head leaning against his shoulder with her eyes closed and her face peaceful. Her hair a long dark river, trailing over his arm. 

He carried her to her room, rather than risk her waking up, he simply covered her with his own hoodie and then after he softly kissed her forehead he left.

* * *

She spent over an hour sketching. It was hard to do Fuji justice. He just... looked really good in that dress. She carefully outlines the draping of the fabric. The way the lose material created the illusion of a smaller waist and wider hips. The way the long fluffy white hoodie made him look cute and delicate. 

‘He really is a very pretty girl.’ Luna’s looping letters appeared beneath the drawing. ‘I think Fuji-san is very brave, for not following any type of unwritten social rule.’ Was Hermione’s comment.

Hariel grinned, it was great that her friends weren’t prejudiced. She personally couldn’t imagine hating someone for their skin, sexuality or clothing choices, but then most reasons for hate didn’t make any sense to her.

Hariel met up with  Kaidoh later that morning, just like always. She felt a small spark of happiness when she put on her new clothes. It was nice to see the effects of her own choices instead of cast-offs or Petunia’s hand in the as bland as possible awkwardly fitting clothes. 

Simple black shorts, with a tiny line of white diamonds running up the side, followed by a tank-top that had a print of artsy cacti with the words ‘can’t touch this' scrawled beneath them. The plants had reminded her instantly of Fuji, and the English phrase had tickled her fancy. It reminded her of Ryoma when he was provoking people again. He could indeed be as prickly as a cactus.

She had grabbed it as an afterthought, the associations made her happy. One of the old t-shirts she bleached with a spell, and then she had scrawled a messy set of runes over it. It was like a white bandage strip now, she tied it just above her cast. The notice-me-knot, focused on her distinctive scars was enhanced by the runes. Pulling one strand with her teeth, she tightened the white fabric easily into place. People who knew could see the pale white lines, long since healed now. Nobody else would spot them though.

She grabbed her keys and her phone, and then she smiled, rubbing her cheek over the fluffy white fabric of the hoodie which had been covering her when she woke up. Spice and rain...

Leaving the clothing article, she gathered her tennis bag and ran out of the house. It was a spontaneous thing, but she was curious and Kaidoh might not mind...

Seeing her classmate already standing in the river, swinging a wet towel around off all thing... She ran towards the river bank and in a controlled slide came over to meet him. “Kaoru-kun. Do you want to play a match today?" She asked, eyes gleaming at the thought. “Okay." Fierce dark green met their lighter green mirror in an almost visible clash of wills. The energy between them never turned darker though, both just excited for the game and loving the thrill. She dropped her bag and took of her shoes, wading into the river to reach him.

She hugged him tightly around the shoulders. “Thank you."  Kaidoh hissed and slowly, long tanned arms came up to rest around her waist. “Street court?" He grumbled the question at her, tightening his grip on her. Cocking her head to the side she consulted her mental map for a moment. Thinking about the court she usually met Yuuta on, she considered it. If they took a break after to recover, the run could serve as stamina training, and a warm up as well.

“Do you know the one in block 105?" He nodded. Easily carrying her along as he walked out of the river.  Hariel pouted, she was just too short, and as a speed-based tennis player  building strength just wasn’t her goal. Still, did he have to emphasize her small size.

Plopping her down on the shore he gathered the few things he had taken along, efficiently packing his bag. She dried her feet and put her trainers back on quickly. He inclined his head and she set off at a steady pace.

The two teenagers ran side by side, en easy pace that they kept to without needing to discuss it.  Hariel didn’t have  Kaidoh’s strength, but her endurance was closer to his then most people would guess. She trained a lot and as a female she was far more fatigue resistant.  So she trained more often, since she recovered before her male opponents.

Yuuta had grumbled at her often enough, at the end of a match they were both panting, but she regained her breath and energy before him every single time. Even if he did outstrip her in strength.

As her phone rang, she blinked for a second. She wasn’t used to being called.  Kaidoh came to a stop beside her as she starting rooting around in her bag. “Moshi  moshi ?" Not many people had her number, so this made her pretty curious.

“Hello Hariel-chan. Did you sleep well?" Fuji’s singsong voice greeted her and her face turned bright red as she realised that it very well might have been Fuji who carried her to bed.

“Y-Yes, sorry for falling asleep on you Syusuke-senpai." She answered quickly. She didn’t think he’d mind but she didn’t want to presume. “You were very cute, don’t worry about it. I’m sure that if I fall asleep somewhere you will make sure I won’t get cold. I trust you." The amused insinuation that sleeping together would be in their future made her flush.

“S-Senpai..." What was there to say, she couldn’t deny that she probably would guard him if he ever did fall asleep around her but telling him that was... Her cheeks seemed to be burning red permanently whenever Fuji was in the mood to tease her. She didn’t truly mind...

“Saa, that wasn’t actually why I called. I wondered when you wanted to have a match. You suggested one for today..."  Hariel blinked, it was very early in the morning, but having two matches, one right after the other would build her stamina. 

“Uhm, Kaoru- kun and I are going to the street court where I usually practice with  Yuuta-kun . The one near your house. You could meet us there and then we can play a match after my match with Kaoru- kun ?" She asked tentatively.

“Practicing your stamina? Sly speed demon-chan. This will be interesting."  Hariel glanced at the older second-year, she jogged towards him to ask him if he would mind. He’d been politely waiting for her from a distance. “Do you mind if Syusuke-senpai comes to watch? I asked him for a match yesterday, he lives near the court." He merely inclined his head slightly. “Fsshhh, fine."

Cheerfully she ended the phone call after telling the senior when they would be there.

Kaidoh curiously glanced at the girl running beside him. She was fast becoming one of his closest friends. They didn’t talk that much, but the most important things were quietly told and kept between them on their many runs. 

The silent ease between them and the many kilometres conquered together had created a strong bond between them.

* * *

“Ohayo,  Hariel-chan ,  Kaidoh ." A silvery voice greeted them the moment they stepped onto the court. Fuji was dressed in white shorts and an emerald green t-shirt.  Hariel smiled at him, jogging up to meet him with  Kaidoh following along in her wake. Absently the introverted boy hoped that this wouldn’t end up with him feeling like a third wheel.

“Senpai." He greeted gruffly. Fuji’s gentle trade-mark smile was beaming in their direction and Kaidoh noted that it was more real in Hariel’s presence.

Hariel tried to keep her ogling discreet, but Fuji had obviously jogged over to the court to meet them, and the rivulets of sweat running down his deceptively slender frame were distracting. She wanted to lick his warm sweat coated skin ...

“I can referee for you." The third year offered kindly. Impatiently Hariel shoved her hair behind her ear again. It kept fluttering over her face in distracting feathery brushes.

“ Kaidoh , have you ever played against  Hariel-chan ?" Fuji asked softly. He pushed  Hariel into sitting down on the low wall surrounding the court. Plucking the scrunchy from her wrist, slender clever fingers gathered her hair into sections and braided the long wavy blue strands into a crown around her head. Fuji hummed to himself, idly making a mental note to take along some bobby pins for her next time. “Thanks." Emerald green met fierce blue gratefully.

Fuji  swallowed, mouth suddenly dry as he watched a small drop of sweat disappear under her shirt. With the braided crown, the back of her neck was uncovered. And he wanted to bite that pale skin...

“No. We run together. It was a coincidence that she asked me for a match while I had my racket with me." “Saa, interesting."  Hariel lifted her racket from her bag, taking her place across the net from her friend. “Which?" “Smooth." The clatter of a racket. “Kaidoh to serve." Fuji stated from his spot on the wall.

The snake-specialist started with a fast, powerful serve, but Hariel was already there to return the ball. With pinpoint precision she sent the ball behind him, mere millimetres from being out. “Fifteen-love." The call came.

“Fsshhhh." The bandana wearing middle school student once more hit the ball, it was returned easily but he was ready for that. Striking out swiftly, he used the snake-technique for which he was so famous in Seigaku. The ball curved around Hariel, but since she had long since observed his moves during his match with  Ryoma she merely vanished with the split step, catching up with the ball to send it spinning back.

“Thirty-love." Fuji was watching the match with interest. They were still feeling each other out, but  Hariel’s style was a lot like Echizen’s with the added danger of a much higher amount of stamina. This might not end well for Kaidoh if the second year couldn’t break her pace.

Kaidoh had a much longer reach though, which he used fully to his advantage. The second year was also stubborn, too stubborn almost. The sheer pig-headedness to chase after balls served him well. Allowing him to return balls others would have given up as impossible.

The game progressed evenly, points fought over with long exhausting rallies and cleverly angled shots. Fuji’s eyes were wide-open, taking in the match seriously. The two were well-matched and both of them could keep going for longer than most.  Kaidoh’s snake against  Hariel’s clever angles and spins created an almost even match.

The score was 5 games all, when Hariel used Tsubame Gaeshi for the first time and only time. Kaidoh’s eyes widened in shock when the ball crawled along the ground out of his reach. Fuji’s eyes widened minutely. She had seen Tsubame Gaeshi only a few times, but she had been the first to break it. To see that she had actually learned the incredibly advanced skill was... deliciously shocking.

“Saa, never a dull moment with you around. Impressive Hariel-chan." The girl in question turned her racket, pulling at the strings for a moment. Had it been anyone else Fuji might have felt jealous to see someone else using the technique he was known for. With her though... he felt a possessive sense of satisfaction. 

“It is a really hard technique. How do you use it so well when you need to calculate the angles so precisely for this effect? The spatial awareness alone..." Fuji smirked, she had just demonstrated that she understood the technique, but also that it didn’t mesh well with her style. Still, just using it once would be enough to shock her opponents, mentally backing them into a corner.

The match was won by Hariel, 7 games to 5. If not for the shock of Tsubame Gaeshi, the result would likely have been different, but the sheer psychological attack value of Fuji’s Triple Counters worked well in her favour even against his own teammate.

“ Fsshhh , good game."  Kaidoh grunted in frustration. He was tempted to hit his knees with his racket in punishment, but this wasn’t actually humiliating. Seeing Hariel glowing with pleasure across the net was rewarding, because she didn’t look down on him at all. Instead her pride was also for him, for an immensely satisfying game.

“You were amazing Kaoru-kun. Next time you will probably win." She glanced slyly at Fuji. “Unless I borrow another one of your triple counters. The sheer shock is well worth the mental exhaustion." She commented cheekily. “Saa.... minx." The third year commented mildly.

“Kaidoh, you did well." Fuji told him kindly. Fuji teased a lot of people, but his praise was actually sort of rare and always sincere. The junior regular blushed with pride, happiness glowing in his chest. “Thanks." He grunted, walking away to cool down and drink some water.

* * *

After a short break,  Kaidoh hopped onto the wall, silently telling them that he didn’t mind playing referee for them. “Which?"  Hariel was tired, but not tired enough that the sheer excitement of playing against Fuji again wasn’t enough to keep her going. She was ready.

Amused blue met her intense eyes, the older teenager was pleased to have her full attention. “Smooth." He answered swiftly. She spun her racket, not even glancing at it yet. When it clattered to the ground, two laser-focussed sets of eyes followed it. 

“Fuji to serve." Came the low voice of the snake-specialist. He was glad that he got to see this. Seeing Fuji play seriously was beyond rare. He trashed his opponents without ever revealing his own play-style normally.  Hariel might just be good enough to draw him out further though... Already his eyes were visibly opened.

With a delicate twist of his hand, Fuji spun the ball while he dropped it only to hit the ball with an underhand serve. Poison green tracked the ball, she missed when it suddenly disappeared to the side. Her motion-vision was enough for her to catch how it worked, but how to counter... “F-Fifteen love."

In an almost disturbing mirror of her older brother, one hand played with the strings of her racket as fiery wilful eyes met his, as if accepting the challenge. “Interesting. I will break your Disappearing serve." 

Sharp blue eyes blazed at her with amusement, tacitly agreeing to meet her challenge. With another delicate twist the ball soared. Rapidly approaching the net, she used Yuuta’s Super Rising to bounce the ball back. It went out, but still, to understand how the technique worked... Fuji’s eyes narrowed, no... not understand, she could see how it worked. Motion-vision...

The two teenagers rallied. Pinpoint precision,  Hariel’s split step, Fuji’s speed...  Kaidoh watched wide-eyed. The level of the match was incredible. Seeing Fuji’s conditioning in action was awe-inspiring. The prodigy almost glided over the court, he was stronger than his slender arms would suggest and incredibly swift.

His control over the ball was high enough to force  Hariel to remain at the baseline. Keeping her there kept her from using most of her tricky spins and controlled the pace of the match well. Fuji’s greatest strength was his sheer skill. 

Hariel was determined though, a will so fierce and bright, not even to win but to prove that she was worthy. To have an interesting match. Sheer joy for tennis, and she cared for her opponent. Fuji smiled, she was slowly figuring out how to counter the spin he used to keep her pinned. 

“Three games to love."  Kaidoh announced, still watching with wide eyes.  Hariel was by no means weak, but Fuji was overwhelmingly skilled and for once he was showing off more of his own skills instead of playing almost frustratingly mirror-like. Hariel reached deeper, eyes sharpening almost impossibly further. With a delicate flick of her wrist, she counter-spun the ball, it bounced up at a strange angle and Fuji watched wide-eyed as his racket missed the ball.

He hummed, smiling slyly at her. “Interesting." Glowing green eyes met his. Her reaction times seemed to speed up and Fuji’s eyes widened. Somehow  Hariel was growing stronger. She was... figuring things out, analysing his style and adjusting to him while they played. 

His smile  softened, this was what tennis was all about.  Hariel had everything he was missing. She was so incredibly passionate. Winning or losing, she might have a competitive streak but what shone through in her tennis above all else was a fierce love for the game. The courts were almost sacred to her.

Fuji knew himself well enough to admit that very often something was missing for him. It was hard to be fully into something when you weren’t challenged. That  Hariel seemed to be growing stronger to reach him... All that passion and fire used to fuel a drive to be better.

It inspired him, and abruptly he realised he was enjoying himself. There was a certain thrill involved in playing against an evolving opponent. If he didn’t try his best, he was eventually going to lose to her. She would keep fighting to catch up... 

He did love tennis, but this was more than merely liking the sport. This match was an exchange of hearts almost. Exhilarating. Playing against  Nanjirou had already reawakened his drive to improve, but seeing  Hariel and her love for tennis, the freedom and peace and the energy she put into it reminded him of his own love for tennis.

Two games later,  Hariel returned his disappearing serve. Fuji watched wide-eyed. Fluke? He spun the ball, sending it flying again as he sliced the ball.  Hariel spun, catching the ball delicately on her racket, moving at the exact angle needed to reduce the spine enough to make it returnable.

She was smirking at him, infuriatingly like Echizen in that moment. He smiled, she didn’t even mind when he quickly crushed any resistance she put up after her. With Fuji, getting him to take you seriously was more than half the battle. That he had resorted to playing at a higher level than their last match was enough for her.

“Six games to one.”  Kaidoh called the match.  Hariel wasn’t even upset, she bounced towards him and without even thinking about it she threw her arms around his waist. “That disappearing serve was amazing, you were amazing. I want to see more of how you control the ball. How do you practice that?” Fuji merely smiled down at her, arms coming up to hug her around the shoulders pulling her against him infinitely tighter. 

He breathed out,  Hariel might not have won, but she had pushed him more than most people ever managed. Feeling her heaving chest pressed tightly against him with her every exhale was nice... Her hot slick skin sliding against his own was distracting though...

Hariel babbled at him and Kaidoh, and both of the older boys could only smile back... Her love for tennis was sweet. It was always beautiful to see someone with dedication this strong.

“Saa, shall I treat you two to ice-cream?" Fuji suggested eventually. “ Fsshhh .” A shy smile was curling around the green-eyed boys' lips even as he faintly nodded.  Hariel cocked her head to the side in a question as she tightened her grip on Fuji’s shoulders. When challenging blue eyes glanced back at her she narrowed her eyes and jumped.

Fuji caught her as she jumped onto his back without even pausing in his stride. Her slender legs were wrapping tightly around his waist and he could actually feel her curves. For such a short petite teenager she wasn’t flat at all... He almost blushed when he felt her shifting against him, accidentally highlighting the lines of her body where she was plastered to his back.

Hariel’s tiny hand scrabbled against his chest before pressing flatly against his ribs, where his heart was hidden in its pale cage.

Her chin hooked over his shoulder, emerald green eyes soft and steady. She could feel his heart beating beneath her palm and for her, it was one of the most beautiful things in the world.

“ Fsshhh , did you ever play against  Tezuka-buchou ?"  Kaidoh asked the mysterious senior curiously. He had always looked up to him, but seeing even this fraction of his true potential was humbling. He hadn’t regretted going along with  Hariel to see him at all. With the girl there, the  tensai was far more open and approachable. Usually he kept to the side-lines, always with that little smile, so amused at the whole wide world. Now he seemed... happy. Present in a way he normally wasn’t.

“In our first year. But not seriously ever since.” Came the silvery voice with an answer. “I would love to see that." Hariel breathed out softly, breath tickling his ear.

Kaidoh watched the two interact. They balanced each other out and, and yet... they created a space for him in their interactions easily. He didn’t feel like a third wheel, or ignored. It was nice...

Hariel smiled at him, wrapped around their senpai like a baby monkey. He didn’t even seem to notice the extra weight. “Kaoru- kun , let’s play another match sometime...” He looked at the girl, lighter green twinkling down at his darker green. “Fsshhhh, let’s."


	15. Romance

The ice-cream store was busy, and nobody felt like leaving straight away. Fuji pointed to a tiny table hidden away from the rest of the room, around a corner. Meant for people on a date, it only had two chairs crowding against the plastic table top. “Let’s go there.” Kaidoh and Hariel stared at him incredulously... “There are only two chairs, Fuji-senpai...”  Kaidoh pointed out slowly.

The prodigy herded his two  kou hais along never the less. “Saa, are there?” He asked teasingly. Dropping his bag, he sat down almost daintily. Then he reached out and laced his fingers through Hariel’s claiming a petite hand. He tugged very softly, and she went willingly.

Kaidoh sighed, of course Fuji would consider that to be a perfectly good solution. He should probably just be thankful that the older boy hadn’t decided to cuddle with him instead. She sighed, setting her bag down next to his and slowly sitting down. She was perched on Fuji’s lap almost daintily, legs crossed at the ankles demurely.

Sneakily he wrapped an arm around her waist. Looking up at her with twinkling eyes, his fingers, hidden below her tank top trailed teasingly along the line of her shorts. She tried not to react to the subtle questing fingers. It felt good though...

The three teenagers ate their ice-cream mostly in silence. Comfortable and familiar. “ Fsshh , thanks."  Kaidoh stated gruffly. Bidding the two  goodbye , the teenager left them to continue his run. “Stamina monster."  Hariel murmured fondly as she waved him goodbye. 

She leaned her forehead against Fuji’s neck. She inhaled his scent, he smelled like spice and rain just like always, but also something undeniably Fuji... and very obviously male, it just made her relax against him.

“Do I smell nice?” The prodigy asked curiously, a soft mutter unnoticed by anyone else in the shop.  Hariel smiled, he could feel her lips curling up against his neck. Without a hint of shame, and mostly by instinct she licked him. “Yes, you taste nice too.” She whispered in his ear.

Hariel was treated to the rare sight of a speechless Fuji, while his cheeks slowly turned red. Did she have any idea what the feeling of her hot tongue was doing to him? He recovered from the shock, tilting his head to the side to look at her with vivid ocean eyes. “You are so tempting...” He told her in a soft murmur, lips pressed to her neck, fastened over her pulse point.

She swallowed under the sensation. She sighed, biting her lip when he returned the favour. His hot tongue licked a strip up the side of her neck.  Hariel muffled her moan with a small hand. She could feel heat flaring to life in her stomach, her cheeks warm and her eyes darkening as she looked at him.

“My house is close by, will you come over?" Wide green, pupils blown wide, she looked far too tempting for a public setting. She nodded slowly. He set her on her feet and pulled her from the store. With a grin, he challenged her. “Run, Hariel-chan."

With a light heart, she chased after him, smiling widely. She followed him into the sun. Golden light dancing around the two teenagers as they ran together.

* * *

“ Syusuke ?” Yumiko blinked as her usually calm younger brother barged into the house. She shook her head when she noticed the small girl on his heels. “Ah, hello again  Hariel -chan.” Panting for breath  Hariel bent over, trying to recover from the flat-out sprint. “Hello Yumiko-san.” She eventually replied.

“Maybe next time, speed demon-chan." Fuji murmured softly, patting her head gently. Green blazed up at him as she lifted her head. “Someday.” She promised seriously. Fuji privately thought that day might not be as far off as she thought. She really was fast...

Yumiko shook her head. “It’s the weekend, you two are way to active. Aren’t teenagers supposed to laze around in bed all day?” Fuji cocked his head to the side, softly curved half-moons turned in her direction. “Such amazing advice, well if  nee-san says so we simply have to. Let’s go  Hariel -chan.” The petite girl squeaked as she was suddenly swept up bridal style.

Reflexively clutching at his shoulders, she looked at Yumiko wide-eyed. “Eh?” She asked, from where she was being carried away. “Use protection." She called after them teasingly, as Fuji kidnapped Hariel to his room. “Eeeeeh...”  Hariel squeaked again, turning bright red. The young woman snickered, watching her  otouto carry  Hariel off fondly. Unfortunately for  Yuuta , she had the exact same sense of humour as Fuji. 

“ Syusuke -senpai... c-can you put me down?" She asked softly, huge green eyes staring up at him imploringly. Somehow managing to open the door despite his precious burden Fuji gently smiled. “Saa.” He hummed at her, before dropping her on his bed. 

Hariel blushed, shyly turning away from him as she registered her position. “Do you want to shower?” He asked gently, trailing a warm hand over her skin. Hariel’s mind conjured images of the older boy... naked beneath streaming water. Her cheeks burned, giving off enough heat to tempt him into stroking her soft cheek gently. “Naughty naughty Hariel-chan.” He murmured softly.

He could almost see how the question had led her to a fantasy and had to concentrate on not blushing as well as the images also danced in his mind. He wanted that, wanted to pin her to the cold tiles of the shower, wanted to feel her warm naked body against him, see the water streaming over her strong frame. So much desire...

Turning around in an attempt to control himself, he snatched a few things from his closet. Handing her the clothes, he tilted her chin up. Once more giving her time to react he slowly came closer. He really couldn’t resist anymore...

Slotting his mouth over full pouty lips he kissed her. It was wet and deep and she moaned, hands reaching up to clench into the fabric of his shirt, as if the anchor herself.

He licked her bottom lip, then he sucked on her tongue. She shivered, panting slightly as he dominated the kiss. His hand was holding the back of her head, cradling her close. With the fire between them the kiss deepened quickly. Becoming impossibly world consuming. Everything faded away from her, as her world narrowed down to him and him alone.

When the kiss ended, she was dazed, her mouth was red, glistening and swollen lips. She looked thoroughly debouched. He wanted her... “I... I should shower.”  Hariel spoke up softly. It was overwhelming, and she didn’t know what they were doing. What did he see her as? What did he think of her? Because she was... very quickly falling for him.

Fuji watched as she fled from his room. He’d need to tell her, to reassure her. He didn’t want to leave her with the impression that he was only fooling around. Burning, laser-focussed blue eyes were shown to the world for a moment. He was far more serious than he had ever been before. He wanted her, wanted to be with her. And unless something changed catastrophically, he was playing for keeps.

* * *

Hariel leaned her forehead against the cool tiles of the Fuji’s shower. Hot water streaming over her naked back. What if he doesn’t want anything more with me... What if I was only convenient... As soon as the painful thoughts entered her head though, her magic twisted in on itself. As if rejecting the mere idea. It occurred to her that without a magical bond, she likely would have doubted everything upside down and sideways for good measure.

Sighing the girl stepped out of the shower, towelling herself off roughly. I’ll just have to ask. She pulled her panties back on slowly. She looked at the clothes Fuji had given her before she fled. Grabbing the soft worn t-shirt, she smiled when she realised it smelt like him. The scent of rain and spice swirled around her. It was too big on her, falling to midthigh easily. Glancing at the sweatpants, she sighed. 

Too warm really, once more glancing at her legs she decided that since he had already seen her in a shorter dress then this, overheating herself wouldn’t help her any. 

She unlocked the bathroom door, stepping into the hallway while glancing around shyly. She opened the door to his room. “S-Sorry.” She whispered, when she saw him. He had his t-shirt halfway down his arms, naked torso on display. 

Fuji turned around, dropping the t-shirt to the floor in the process. “Hariel-chan...” Pulling her into the room, he gathered her into his arms. She was just too cute, wet curls still dripping with water, clad seemingly in only his t-shirt. His possessive side purred in satisfaction. He closed the door, pinning her up against it. 

With one hand buried into her hair, he tilted her head up.  Hariel glanced up into darkened sharp blue, and she didn’t feel frightened in the slightest. Her arms coming up to hug him tightly around the waist. She laid her head against his chest. The feeling of his skin, warm and human and bare against her was reassuring.

He leaned in to kiss her, and she tilted her head up. He slanted his lips over hers, kissing her with passion, fire and heat. She moaned into the kiss, heat quickly coiling deep inside. Arousal flaring to life. She whined high in her throat when his leg pressed between her thighs. 

He groaned when he felt her nipples brushing against him through the soft t-shirt. They were pebbled into hard peaks. She was turned on and that was doing things to him as well.

He trailed messy wet kisses down the side of her neck, pausing the suck a deep red mark onto her shoulder where his shirt had slipped down. Her head tilted back to lean against the door with a soft  thunk . 

Her whole body felt hot and tingly, she shivered under his touch, yearning for more and not quite knowing what. When he shifted, raising his leg slightly to grind harder against her she whimpered, instinctively clamping her thighs together, moaning when his leg rubbed against her at the apex of her thighs.

A pale slender hand wound tighter through her wet hair, the contrast of the cool water dripping onto his warm fingers only highlighting how heated things were turning between them. Pulling her head to the side, he kissed her again. Hot and wet, plundering her mouth until all she could do was moan beneath him. 

The soft noises coming from her were just fuel for the fire in him.  Hariel’s hands scrabbled down his back reflexively as his clever tongue stroked against hers in maddening ways. The kiss turned slick and soft, lips wetly sliding sweetly against each other.

He was so hard for this maddening beautiful alluring girl. Her body was soft and hot against him. The intense deep green of her gaze was reduced to only a thin ring. Her pupils blown wide open in clear desire.

Slender fingers wove into his hair, pulling him back to her for another kiss.  Hariel bit him softly, licking into his mouth wetly, pulling a soft moan from him. 

When his knee pressed against her hot centre, she sank further against him, knees trembling as the heat flared higher and higher in her tummy. She squeaked softly when she felt his hard cock settle against her hip. It was empowering, but slightly frightening to realize that she turned him on that much.

She wanted to touch him... but she was still too shy to dare. Fuji  groaned, he could see that she was becoming overwhelmed. Bending down, he swept her up again, one arm under her knees and one around her back. 

He sat down, then he flopped back against his mattress. Pulling her along, he easily controlled their fall to make sure that he ended up beneath her.  Hariel was sprawled beside him, half on top of him. His pale arms were wrapped around her waist tightly, as he slowly pressed a chaste kiss against her wet curls. “Sorry. I shouldn’t have gone so far.” He said softly. Her arousal was fading, her mind clearing up quickly, her questions rising to the surface again.

She was grateful that he seemed to have an internal radar for what was too much for her. She had... honestly loved what he was doing to her, the feelings and the sensations. The exact moment it became too much for her too fast he had stopped and she smiled, curling up against his naked chest. “No, thank you, for looking out for me.”

“Syusuke-senpai... what are we doing?” She asked, voice tiny and nervous. Immediately blue eyes were drawn to her nervous expression. His heart sank in his chest, arousal utterly doused out beneath rising anxiety. “I like you and my feelings for you are becoming deeper every day." He prayed that his lapse of control hadn’t given her the wrong idea.

He sighed, watching in relief as a happy smile appeared immediately. She ducked her head shyly when she saw him watching her intently. “I... I like you too." She confessed shyly in return.

Fuji curled around her, enveloping her tiny frame entirely.  Hariel smiled, crawling on top of him completely, arms hugging him tightly as her cheek was  smushed against his naked chest. “I’m glad.” He whispered softly. They stayed that way for a long time, tightly  intertwined , as close as possible. 

* * *

“ Hariel-chan ?” She hummed as he called her name, she was warm and safe and not sleepy but never the less utterly relaxed. She could hear his smile when he spoke again, the words spoken against her hair from where he was curled around her tight enough that they were almost one being instead. 

“Will you be my girlfriend, please?" There was hope in his soft voice, a hint of nerves, and overwhelming need and desire. He wanted her so much... 

Hariel bit her lip, fiddling nervously with her cast. “I... I have secrets. I don’t know if it’s fair to say yes when you don’t know enough about me...” She glanced up, wincing when she saw his devastated expression, which was quickly shuttered away and hidden behind his usual smile. So plastic and painful...

She grasped his shoulders tightly, tears already dripping down her cheeks. “I want to, I want to be yours but you don’t know nearly enough about me, and I don’t want you to change your mind once you do.” There was something ancient in her green eyes. Something cutting, sharp, painfully broken.

“ Hariel ...” Fuji’s too clever sharp gaze roamed her face. “I don’t think there is anything you could tell me that would make me regret knowing you.” He told her, almost obsessively.  Hariel blinked, she could feel her magic ringing truth, could almost sense the way all of his immense focus, that incredible mind was focused on her.

Almost like self-sabotage, she blurted out the most horrible truth she knew about herself. “I’m a killer, and I don’t regret it." She wanted him, but she wanted to be left even more. It was always better than being left when she was in to deep. Hariel held on to her stark denial. Truth was, she was already in too deep when it came to this brilliant, sly, maddeningly clever beautiful boy.

“Why?" The question was simple, and beyond a minute widening of those ocean coloured orbs he didn’t even react at all. He trusted her, knew the most fundamental truth about her. He had been watching her, observing, greedily taking in every stray bit of information about her. How could he not know.  Hariel loved life, and she did so fiercely. 

Curling in on herself defensively, so sure that he would hate her, would get mad eventually and judge her for her past. “Self-defence. He worked for the man who killed my mom and dad, and when he tried to strangle me, I fought back...” She still hated herself for not feeling anything. For not being more upset over this. 

“And I didn’t stop until he died beneath my hands, even though I could have.” Quirrell had died because she wanted him to burn and even when he started disintegrating under her touch, even when he was no longer a threat, she did not stop... 

A soft whisper of his breath skated over her cheek as he exhaled in a rush. There were hands on her face, cradling her close as kind blue met terrified green. “Thank you." Her eyes widened in surprise. “What?” She blurted out, completely shocked. “Thank you for fighting back. It must have been so hard...” 

Hariel remembered almost blacking out under his hands, and how for a split-second she had thought about just letting go... She had dreamed in a delirious haze, for a short oxygen deprived moment, of meeting her parents again.

Hariel wasn’t just crying in a vaguely aesthetically pleasing way anymore. There were tears streaming down her face, and her chest was heaving with big ugly sobs. She was crying so hard that she was nearly hyper ventilating and she was sure that she was getting tears, saliva and snot all over him. He didn’t care.

The hand in her hair, so familiar by now, was grounding. By the time she came back to herself, she was draped over him, cuddled close to his warm protective frame. Fuji had managed to wrangle the blankets around them, creating a safe cocoon for her.

When she finally, finally lifted her head to shyly meet his gaze again, she wasn’t pretty. Her eyes were red-rimmed, her nose red, her lips chapped and bitten almost clean through. Her hands were clenching and unclenching anxiously, slender fingers topped by ragged anxiously bitten nails.

His gaze  softened, she was beautiful just the way she was. “Be mine.” He told  her, a wealth of emotion bound in the short command. This time there was no denial. “Yes.”

* * *

Hariel woke up to soft morning light. She was still in bed with Fuji, who was peacefully asleep. He was lying flat on his back. She was curled against his side, with a steel bar parading as his arm around her waist. Watching the golden light dancing over his face, she wanted to draw him. Wanted to spend hours drawing every minor detail, the unfairly long lashes, the delicate curve of his ears. That sharp tempting mouth. The pointy chin and the softly arched eyebrows.

She wanted to capture this moment. Glancing around his room, she slowly slid over his body, pausing for a moment to softly kiss his cheek, delighted that she was allowed to do this.

Printer paper... pencil. She curled up in his desk chair, tucking her slim naked legs beneath her. She didn’t think about the fact that it was a school day. Didn’t bother wondering why she had woken up here. Didn’t consider who might have found them, or what her mom and dad would even think about her now...

She sketched in the peaceful quiet, lost in the strokes and shades. The portrait was soft, the light warm and full in her drawing. She shaded softly and left his hair, curled around his face sweetly as mostly shadow and suggestion. It was one of her best works ever, but then Fuji made a very inspiring muse.

When the portrait was finished, she sat it down on his desk. Padding over to one of the shelves, she picked up the camera he had taken with him to the river. She turned it on, looking at him through the lens. She adjusted the lens to focus on the pretty lashes fanned out over his pale skin. Letting the edges become soft and unfocussed, she clicked a picture.

Slowly Fuji woke up, from a distinctly familiar click. Eyelids slowly fluttering open, he made a sleepy noise in protest when he noticed her across the room. Making grabby hands at her,  Hariel merely laughed sweetly, coming right back to his side.

As soon as she was within touching distance, he snaked a pale arm around her waist and drew her down on top of him. “Hey." She grinned back softly, setting the camera down carefully. “Hey."

“ Syusuke ... it’s nearly time for breakfast, and  Hariel-chan needs to go home to change after that." Yumiko’s soft voice called up the stairs. Fuji sighed, sitting up slowly. The changing position forced her to spread her legs wider to straddle his lap. He reached over to pick up his camera, curious about the photograph she took. 

“Saa, did you sleep well?" He asked her softly, while he turned on the device.  Hariel took the opportunity to run her hands all over his skin. He still hadn’t put on a shirt and now she didn’t have to resist temptation. She explored his upper body, the dips and valleys, the sharp collar bones. Slowly she started following the lines her hands were drawing with her mouth. It was sensual, but more than that it was connection.

It was skin on skin contact, and something sweet and soft which was the exact counter to loneliness.

Fuji shivered under her hands. “If you don’t stop that, we might not be leaving this bed." The  tensai captured her wandering hands to press a soft precise kiss to the centre of her left palm. And then he kissed all five of her slender fingers, of her right hand, which was still in a cast.  Hariel merely grinned at him. “We will, because I’m hungry and you aren’t nearly as cruel as you pretend to be." 

He huffed out a breath of laughter. Then his breath caught in his throat as he saw the picture she had taken. Blindly he pulled her closer. “You have talent. I don’t feel anything for my own face, I see it every day in the mirror after all, but this picture still touches me." She glowed at his praise. 

“Will you print me a copy?" She asked softly, somewhat nervously. The picture wasn’t indecent, but it was very personal. He was asleep and he looked soft and sweet, open. The picture was mostly of his face, but also of the naked slope of his neck and parts of his shoulders.

Fuji nodded, modesty wasn’t for him so he was mostly just very pleased that she cared so much and wanted that picture. “ Syusuke ,  Hariel-chan !" Yumiko’s voice pulled them  out of their own world.

He kissed her neck, then unexpectedly he tickled her sides and she shrieked with laughter. Pressing one last kiss to her bright red cheek he regretfully stood up, placing his girlfriend, and that was amazing indeed, on her feet easily.

Hariel blinked, then she turned bright red. Cheerfully arranged near the window were her own clothes, sports bra, tank top and shorts. They had obviously been washed and they even seemed to be dry by now. Still, to have her underwear hanging there out in the open... Strong arms caged her in, as the older teen pressed a soft kiss to the side of her neck. “I’ll get dressed in the bathroom.” 

As the door closed behind him, she tugged off the shirt, putting on her sports bra again, which flattened her bust by an almost uncomfortable amount. Tugging on her shorts, she looked at the sleep warm t-shirt still grasped in her hands. “Fuck it.” She muttered, tugging the warm fabric over her head again. She could always claim that it was too cold for a tank top.

A soft knock alerted her that he was done, and she opened the door, following him down the stairs. Seeing Yumiko’s knowing expression turned her bright red, even though they hadn’t actually done anything. “Good morning.” The oldest Fuji sibling nearly sang the words to her. “O-Ohayo.” She mumbled out. Fuji smiled, pulling out a chair for her like the gentlemen he never really was for literally anybody else. 

“Help yourself." The young woman said kindly, waving at the available food. “Thank you.” A brilliant smile was sent her way and Yumiko was glad that this girl was so close with her little brother. She’d be good for him. 

Before she could warn  Hariel though, the younger female already had one of Fuji’s preferred creations on her plate. Biting down on the incredibly spicy bread Yumiko watched wide-eyed. The one (and only) time that  Yuuta had made this mistake he had nearly fainted, gulping down glass after glass of water.

Hariel breathed out slowly, then she hummed, shrugged and ate the rest of the bread. Fuji, seated right beside her, spoke up cheerfully. “Nice, isn’t it?”  Hariel shook her head. “It... has a lot of flavour.” She said diplomatically. She didn’t necessarily like it, being partial to sugary confections herself, but she didn’t hate it either. It was a blazing sensation in her mouth, sort of like nibbling on the sun might be, but she didn’t mind.

For someone who had gone hungry far too often, flavourful food was no problem. Tasting anything at all was to be savoured after that gnawing hungry ache.

Yumiko smiled.  ”You are lucky, Syusuke. Most people run for the hills when they come across your peculiar taste." Fuji leaned over to kiss Hariel’s cheek, like it was the most natural thing in the world. “I am lucky.” He agreed seriously. Hariel blushed, but despite her mild feelings of embarrassment she was happy.

Yumiko’s eyes softened. “You two look good together.” She told them seriously. Fuji smiled his trademark smile at her, visibly pleased, while  Hariel ducked her head shyly but never the less seemed grateful for the compliment as well.

“ Hariel-chan , I called your parents to let them know you fell asleep here yesterday. They were fine with it." She hummed gratefully. “Thanks.” The young woman smiled slyly, setting  Hariel on edge slightly. “I forgot to mention that you were sleeping in  Syusuke’s bed... with him." Hariel’s cheeks blazed bright red. “T-Thanks.” She stuttered.

The female Fuji grinned, but let it go without teasing her further... for now. She glanced up at the clock, then started putting her dishes in the sink. “Let’s go. I will drive you home. You should have enough time to shower and change this way.”  Hariel added her dishes to the pile. Then she bowed politely. “Thank you.” Yumiko merely patted her head gently. “It’s no problem.”

Fuji, already dressed in his uniform, tennis bag slung over his shoulder and school bag ready, followed the two out the door.

In the car, Yumiko smiled when she spotted Fuji raising Hariel’s hand to kiss her palm softly. It was nice to see her usually so closed off little brother happy.

* * *

Fuji waited in the living room as  Hariel went upstairs to shower and change. “Saa, good morning Echizen."  Ryoma , still in his pyjamas paused halfway to the kitchen. His sleepy eyes widened in mild horror, which Fuji did not take pleasure in at all... “Fuji-senpai..." He muttered. Then he seemed to decide that this could not be expected of him in the morning and promptly ignored the older boy, walking away calmly.

With a sly, entertained smile Fuji followed him. Ryoma nearly groaned. “Did you sleep well?" Came the irritating singsong voice of the menace currently crowding way to close. The golden-eyed Echizen leaned back a little as his senpai leaned closer to him. “Fine.” He muttered, warily watching Fuji.

Ryoga breezed into the kitchen, and spotting the strange scene, snorted rudely. “Yo, Fuji. What are you doing here?" He was feeling merciful enough to distract the tensai from his kid brother while the boy was obviously still mostly asleep.

“Well, I’m not very tall, but it still wouldn’t work well to dress  Hariel-chan in my uniform.  So we came back here.” He answered vaguely, on purpose of course. “Eh?! Why was  Hariel-chan with you in the first place?”  Ryoga demanded loudly. Startling  Ryoma in the process, who, freed from the too sharp focus of the third year had been well on his way to dreamland again.

“Hmm.... this morning, or in general? Because those reasons might be different...”  Ryoga’s jaw tightened in irritation. “This morning Fuji." He ground out. “Well, I’ve never seen her teleport before, so it makes sense that she would still be where she was yesterday evening.” Ryoga nearly wanted to strangle the too smart irritating teenager. 

“Fuji..." How was a middle school kid so good in getting on his nerves? Fuji, meanwhile, smiled in delight. Ryoma snorted, looking at Ryoga with a smirk. “Mada mada dane." He uttered nonchalantly.

Hariel appeared in the doorway, looking at the three of them with a raised eyebrow. She hadn’t felt like showering, so she was dressed in her uniform. Looking like a very pretty boy with long hair. As she dropped into the chair next to  Ryoma Fuji smiled, and came to stand right behind her. When Hariel felt strong fingers combing through her messy hair, she knew where this was going.

“Where did you learn how to braid  Syusuke -senpai?" She fiddled idly with her cast, glad that it would be removed any day now. “Yumiko- neesan .” He murmured. He pulled her long hair into a loose braid, starting at the top of her head, only to keep adding more of her glossy curls as he went. 

Ryoma blinked. He blinked again, nope that was still his little sister, currently looking more like  his very pretty little brother, having her hair styled professionally by their senpai. His head hit the table top as he considered the fact that yes, one day Fuji would be his family most likely. He was the first person  Hariel had allowed so close, so soon, and who she trusted so completely whom she was also attracted to.

With Yukimura it was different, there was no romantic spark there. “Nii-san, mada mada dane." He murmured again. Fuji had clearly been the only one for her all along. That his older brother had been so busy ranting over Yukimura seemed silly now.

Ryoga eyed his little brother, wondering where that came from. “Yukimura was never a threat.” The boy muttered at him, gleaming gold mocking him casually. “Shut up chibisuke.” 

Fuji smirked at them from behind  Hariel as he suggestively trailed a hand down her throat. Both male  Echizens frowned when  Hariel only leaned into it. The boy was needling them. Without opening her eyes,  Hariel spoke up softly. “Stop tweaking their nose Syusuke-senpai.”

The  tensai smiled, leaning down to kiss her cheek softly. “ Gomen ,  gomen . They are just too cute when I ruffle their feathers.”

Ryoga frowned melodramatically. “Don’t come so close to chibi-chan.”  Hariel smirked, glancing back at him. She had wondered how she should break the news, but since he provided such a lovely opportunity...  Ryoma sighed, he had spotted the mischievous gleam in her eyes.

“I’d say senpai isn’t nearly close enough. He’s mine after all.” She sashayed out of the kitchen, leaving behind a shocked stone statue, an entertained boyfriend and a smiling brother. It was good to see Hariel happy.

* * *

Two sets of golden eyes were staring at him, as if they were trying to set him on fire with the power of their minds alone. “If you hurt her, nobody will ever find your body.” Ryoga stated softly. It was a good effort of trying to appear menacing. Ryoma stared at the older boy seriously. “If you ever seriously hurt my  imouto , I will take her away from you for the rest of our lives." 

Fuji had to admit, he found  Ryoma’s threat far more serious. Opening his eyes, he answered them completely serious. “I won’t hurt her. I promise.”  Ryoma took him in, and then nodded once.  Ryoga sighed, but then also nodded approvingly. “I suppose it is her choice...”

Hariel’s voice floated back to them from the front door. “We’ll be going now, bye  nii-san .”  Ryoga grunted, calling out a goodbye as well as he waved the two younger males away.

Momoshiro blinked up in surprise when he spotted Fuji walking beside the Echizen siblings. “Good morning.” He said cheerfully, curiously eyeing the older boy. “Hello Momo.” “Ohayo, Momo-chan.” “Hn.” Ryoma grunted, while he yawned.  Hariel carefully steered him around the lamp post. He seemed to have managed to go mostly back to sleep in the few steps they had taken away from their house.

Fondly she treaded her arm through his, to keep him on track and away from traffic. Momoshiro laughed. “Echizen, at least try to wake up before we get to school.” “Hn.”

“Saa, we could just let him sleep. He has English first  period, right?" Fuji hummed slowly. He was near fluent in English, and he considered his teacher in the subject to be fairy incompetent. He probably didn’t even want to know what their teachers sounded like to  Ryoma and  Hariel , who were both bilingual.

Hariel nodded. “He does.  So do I, funnily enough. I don’t disrupt the class, and in return Tanaka-sensei usually just leaves me alone. I think she knows that she can’t teach me anything in this.”

Momoshiro blinked. “Are you fluent in English as well, Echizen- chan ?” Fuji nearly giggled. “ Hariel-chan is from England Momo. I’d be worried if she didn’t speak her mother tongue well." He tugged fondly on her long braid. She smiled up at him, and then she turned back to  Momoshiro . The amethyst-eyed boy spluttered. “Wait, you are English?! How did you even end up in Japan then?” He looked curious. “You are very good at Japanese though..."

Hariel , fondly tugging  Ryoma away from yet another obstacle for a moment, answered lightly. “ Ryoma lived down the street from me in England for a while when I was younger. That’s both how I ended up here, and why I speak Japanese pretty well. They taught it to me almost accidentally. I picked it up easily because I was still very young back then. I kept practicing because... I wanted to be close to  Ryoma .” She whispered, soft pink dusting her cheeks.

Fuji nearly smiled. She was too precious sometimes. “Echizen, you are lucky to have such a sweet imouto. I wish Yuuta was so attached to me.” There was a tiny note of real longing in his voice. For all that the worst cracks had been mended, his relationship with  Yuuta was still awkward and painful compared to how it had once been. He was afraid to push too much, afraid that  Yuuta would one day disappear again from his life.

Hariel thoughtlessly took his hand, stroking calloused fingers over the soft skin of his slim wrist. She leaned over to softly talk to the  tensai . “ Yuuta-kun is just awkward. He looks up to you very much you know.” He hoped so. 

“Yeah Ri- chan is a great sibling. Sometimes I wished I could have traded  Ryoga for her.”  Ryoma stated stoically, prompting a giggle from  Hariel and a quick-silver smile from Fuji. “Wait, you have more siblings Echizen?”  Momoshiro asked loudly.

Ryoma nodded. “Sure, I have a really irritating older brother as well." Fuji cocked his head to the side. “Just imagine an older Echizen, only  sillier ... that’s pretty much who  Ryoga -san is.” The third year stated off-handed.

Momoshiro sighed as they reached the school gates. It was still early and the school grounds were mostly deserted. “ Anymore surprises anybody wants to spring on me?" Fuji leaned over to kiss  Hariel square on the mouth. The kiss was over almost before it began, a chaste warm peck. “ Ehh , you’re dating Fuji-senpai?!”

Hariel embraced her boyfriend, something soft and warm squirmed in her tummy. He had no intention of hiding then... “Hmm, yes." She answered almost dreamily as the  tensai embraced her. She leaned into the warm sheltering hug. Drawing strength from him, to go ahead and face the day. She still had tennis practice this afternoon...

“Lunch on the roof?” The question was innocent, but the delivery was anything but. Fuji had leaned over to whisper in her ear, soft lips grazing her ear.  Momoshiro abruptly turned red, as  Ryoma sighed. The witch smiled up at him. “Hai.” She answered cheerfully.

Tightened his hold on her waist for a moment he buried his face into her neck. “Okay, see you later.” With one last lingering kiss pressed to her forehead, the tensai tennis player was gone.

Momoshiro whistled. “Good for you, Echizen-chan.” She smiled shyly. “ Thanks Momo-chan.”  Ryoma split away from them next, negligently waving at them as he walked away without a backwards glance. “Later.”

Momoshiro and  Hariel took the stairs up to the second floor. “He never changes, the anti-social brat.”  Hariel smiled briefly. “I know, but would you really want him to? You have to admit,  Ryoma-niichan can be very funny."  Momoshiro guffawed. “Haha, that’s true I guess." He glanced at his classroom door. “Well, this is me, bye bye.” She waved back at him and then when he was gone she let the smile slip from her face.

In her locker she had found more razors, she had managed to avoid cutting herself this time, but the fact that somebody deliberately wanted to hurt her was... upsetting. She frowned, her desk had been defaced with slurs. 

Sighing, she took a rag from the sink in the back of the classroom and started scrubbing. It took her until just before anybody else entered the classroom to clean it, and even then, she only managed it because Petunia and Snape had given her ample of practice.

* * *

Hariel spent most of her morning trading notes with  Kaidoh as they did their assignments. She helped him out in English and flew threw her school work in the other subjects as well. Being tutored by Yukimura had a lot of benefits. He was a perfectionist, even if he wasn’t particularly harsh on her.  Hariel , he had found out, responded very well to positive reinforcement. He always praised her for the things she did well, and so she worked hard.

Yukimura’s calming presence and undemanding teaching style were a good fit for her, she had been very skittish at the start.

When the bell rang, she patted  Kaidoh’s shoulder and smiled at him, then she left her classroom. 

In the hallway, a few girls from the tennis club jeered at her from behind their hands, hateful eyes tracking her every move. Hariel frowned, steeling herself. She quickly escaped to the roof. One of the regulars, a third-year girl, tripped her halfway up the staircase. Hariel ended up smashing her knee into the edge of one of the steps to keep herself from falling. “Oh I’m sorry.” The girl spoke up with a blatantly false kindness in her voice. “I didn’t see you there.”

Hariel smiled tightly, merely brushing past her. She wasn’t quite fast enough not to hear the girl. “How rude, and I even apologised." The smirk was clear in her voice and her heart ached.

Plastering on her best smile, she opened the door to the roof. Fuji and  Kikumaru were already there. She bit her lip, there was nothing she wanted more then to crawl into Fuji’s lap, but she didn’t want to be clingy and weak. 

She sat down next to Fuji, and she wasn’t hungry. She opened her bento, and swirled her chopsticks through the rice idly. She’d never waste food, but she really just did not feel like it. Forcing herself to swallow, she slowly reached out to take his hand. Why was this so hard... He had asked her, she knew he liked her, could feel it sometimes, the intensity almost alarming. 

Fuji frowned  minutely, something was wrong... He couldn’t put his finger on it, but he just knew it.  Hariel likely wouldn’t even consider telling him, not even because she didn’t trust him or anything like that but just because she had grown up like that. She was self-sufficient to the point of obsession in some ways. It was engraved in her. Carved into her by cruelty, it wasn’t her fault. Though it was still an irritating personality trait.

He laced their fingers together easily.  Kikumaru stilled for a moment. “Fujiko- chan ? Hariel-chibi?" He asked curiously. Fuji cocked his head to the side. “Eiji..." He answered calmly. Then he leaned over to Hariel, pulling her into his lap easily. “I want to cuddle with my girlfriend... Indulge me?" He asked sweetly. Hariel smiled, setting down her bento to turn around. She curled around him, hiding her face against his neck. 

“How were your classes?” She asked inanely. “Not at all inspiring. I enjoyed reading The Little Prince in English though.” She hummed, rain and spice and something just plain Fuji making her relax for the first time since she split ways with her friends that morning. The  tensai was glad when he felt the petite girl melt against his frame.

“I’m happy for you two  nya .”  Kikumaru piped up hyper but incredibly sweet. “Thank you  Eiji -senpai.”  Hariel said, chin hooked over Fuji’s shoulder to talk to him. With her body plastered against Fuji’s she was slowly relaxing. She was nibbling on her food, listening to the conversation going on over her head. 

“The Tokyo District preliminary is coming up soon...” Fuji nodded. “Ah.  Tezuka will likely announce the line-up soon.”  Hariel grinned. “ Ryoma-nii will probably be excited. He loves playing against new people.” She blinked and then added almost arrogantly. “And then grinding them into the dirt."

Kikumaru grinned at her. “O- chibi is good, I hope we can go to the Nationals this year... Ne,  Hariel-chibi , are you going to be a Regular for the girls? Their tournament is a little later right?"  Hariel kept smiling, and it was only Fuji who could feel her tensing up. It passed so soon that he almost thought he was  imagining things, but no...

“I uhm, I don’t think the tennis club likes me very much...  So I might not stay in the club.” It was said with enough self-deprecation that it almost didn’t seem serious. Kikumaru still frowned, the redhead was annoyed and confused. “Why not, aren’t you really good at tennis? And you’re so nice too...” She smiled sadly. “I don’t know Eiji-senpai. I never know why... people just don’t like me.”

The cat-like boy reached out to grab her hand, holding the tiny but strong pale digits in his carefully. “I like you.” He told her earnestly and she almost cried. He was just so nice and sweet, almost recklessly open and genuine. With a thick voice and a soft large smile she answered. “I like you too Eiji-senpai."

Fuji grinned as he watched his girlfriend and one of his best friends. It was nice to see them getting along. He hoped that they would become friends, the mischief they’d create together would be hilarious.

He tuned into their conversation again when he felt  Hariel laughing, the sound tinkling through her. “Really? I can’t imagine that it tastes good though...” She commented teasingly. “No  no Hariel-chibi, you don’t understand. Toothpaste can be fascinating. You should branch out more.”

She smiled gently at the redhead. “I might, do you have any advice on which type would be best?” She wasn’t mocking him, and he knew that.  Kikumaru happily told her about the pros and cons of several flavours and types.

Their discussion was cut short by the bell, and both of them were kind of sad.  Kikumaru wanted to know more about her. She was after all important to both Fujiko and o-chibi, and even more importantly, she herself was very nice and sweet.

Fuji helped her up, and then kissed her on the mouth.  Kikumaru only smiled, somehow it didn’t even make him uncomfortable. That kiss looked like comfort and sweet attachment to him. He patted  Hariel’s head softly. “Bye Hari- chibi .” He smiled at her, and waved brightly further down the hall. She smiled. “He’s nice,  Eiji -senpai. I can see why  Ryoma-nii likes him, even though he usually appreciates silence.” Fuji nodded with a gentle  smile, eyes hidden as they always were at school.

“ Hariel -chan... tell me if you have any trouble, please?” The witch hesitated. She didn’t want to burden him. She definitely wasn’t going to lie to him though... “I...” She was abruptly cut off by the bell, and awkwardly waved at him before taking the stairs down to the second floor two at the time.

In class, she took out Luna’s gifted dairy. She already knew the equations, and she easily hid the book behind her math text. Keeping an eye on where the lesson was going wasn’t hard and in the mean time she wrote her girlfriends.

‘He kissed me. He told me he liked me and asked me to be his girlfriend.' Her cheeks burned, but her smile was stretched wide enough that it almost ached. ‘Your wedding will be amazing. I like him already, Fuji  Syusuke has never been  mean to me.'  Hariel was happy to hear that. It was obvious to her that Luna had been having visions of Fuji for a while already and she was glad that they promised a good bond between the two.

She honestly thought that Luna deserved to have more friends. The blonde was so kind and accepting...

‘ Hariel ... I’m happy for you.' Hermione’s neat black letters were printed in straight lines beneath Luna’s swirling purple circles. ‘I also wanted to say that, I don’t think you murdered  Quirrel . You killed him, but it was self-defence  Hariel ... Nobody can blame you for that. It wasn't your fault, his own actions led to his death...'

Hariel bit her lip. ‘One day I will believe that, but thank you for always telling me.’ Hermione’s amber eyes closed in resignation for a moment, before she opened them again, burning with determination. ‘I’ll keep saying it until you do believe it.’


	16. Cold

Fuji only caught a glimpse of a blue-black braid disappearing around the corner at the end of the school day. He frowned,  Hariel had started to say something before the bell interrupted, and he had a feeling it was important. She wasn’t nearly as upbeat and cheerful as she had been on her first day of school.

He worried for the sometimes too kind girl. Would she even fight back if people bullied her?

He frowned, cold malicious eyes appearing for a split second when he heard the Captain of the girl’s tennis club giggling. He caught  Hariel’s name, and wondered if he should step in...

Tezuka’s silhouette in front of him reminded him of his own tennis  obligations though, and he reluctantly went to get changed.

“Echizen, did  Hariel-chan mention anything about her after school plans for today?" His cute  kouhai glanced at him. “Nothing.” Came the short answer. Fuji hummed thoughtfully. 

_________

Hariel was standing under water set as hot as she could tolerate. The steaming water streamed over her head and she ducked her head. Watching soft pink swirling down the drain, she pretended that the pretty colour was just shampoo as the water droplets clung to her eyelashes blinding her slowly as she started seeing fractals of light instead of a clear image.

Half the tennis practice had been spent being pushed around, until her knees were bleeding straight through the bandages she had put on before the weekend. It was Monday, and already she wanted the week to be over. The regulars had kept tripping her, claiming accident every time.

It felt like the entire school hated her, even though she knew that wasn’t the case. It was the captain, birdlike Nakamura and that Fuji-fangirl whom she still didn’t even know the name off. The rest was just going along with it to avoid becoming the target themselves.

The other regulars might be jealous of her, but without the instigators that would likely have passed easily enough. Instead the two girls were fanning the flames, painting her in an as unfavourable light as possible.

Hariel thought back to the slurs on her desk and nearly snorted. Teenagers... if they really thought that this was going to be enough to make her quit  Seigaku they should think again. Dementors were worse, and Hermione on a research-binge far more intimidating.

Fondly  Hariel wondered how her friend was doing... This whole situation brought up so many memories. She missed seeing the brunette. Big green eyes blinked in thought, as she remembered that Hermione had been bullied in primary as well. She had spent some time dabbling in psychology, as if trying to find a reason, any reason. 

Luna was still being bullied right now. She frowned, now that she was in this position herself again, she felt even worse for just leaving the blonde to be ridiculed. She thought of the girl as a friend and it felt like she was failing her.

Hariel sighed beneath the warm water. There never was any reason good enough. Jealousy, envy, sometimes pride. Always it was about someone being different, and crowds were fickle, it only took a few people stirring things up behind the scenes for a whole class, or even a whole school, to turn against someone after all.

She shut of the water, tucking a towel around her naked body. She hoped that everybody had left already. Shuffling into the locker room, she frowned when she didn’t see her uniform. Her bag was there, but not her clothes. 

She bit her lip, wondering what she was supposed to do now... Magic couldn’t help her, she didn’t even have a wand. Frowning she wondered if she could call out to Ryuzaki-sensei without being seen. She felt frighteningly exposed and vulnerable... naked.

She froze in horror when she realised that the door was locked. 

Several minutes before Coach Ryuzaki had frowned, it was sloppy not to lock the door. The lights hadn’t been on, and with no clothes left she had assumed that all the girls had gone home...

_____________

Nakamura  giggled, she was shredding the arrogant upstarts uniform. “Dump it somewhere on your way home." Fuji’s blonde fangirl, who had been trashed by Hariel and was definitely holding a grudge, nodded gleefully. She had already finished destroying the raven’s sport clothes. “I hope she has to look for someone in her panties. That should teach her some humility."

Neither girl noticed the ice blue eyes watching them, nor did they notice the distinctive click of a camera.

______

Yukimura frowned,  Hariel never lied.  Hariel was almost never late.  Hariel had promised that she’d come over today after tennis practice. So where was she...

He dialled impatiently. “Ryoga-san. Where is  Hariel-chan ?” He asked abruptly. The bluenet was worried. Ryoga, standing in a hallway at his university, frowned at his phone. “What do you mean?" He asked, something like fear starting to spark in his stomach.

“She promised to come over after her tennis practice ended. She’s already late by an hour." Yukimura stated tonelessly. He was feeling horribly useless, stuck in bed. His recovery was going incredibly well, but he still couldn’t walk far enough to go out and find her.

“I can’t leave, I have an exam worth half of my grade in less than an hour." Yukimura could hear the frustration in his voice. “I’m going to text you  Ryoma’s number.” The violet-eyed boy sighed. “Thank you. Good luck with your exam. Don’t worry too much, I can’t go anywhere, but I’ll inform him and once she’s been found I’ll text you.”

He refused to accept any other outcome. “Thanks Yukimura." “No problem.”

____________

Hariel shivered. It wasn’t that cold yet, but the summer was ending, fall was already creeping upon the land, and she had nothing except a t-shirt, her panties and a hoodie to keep her warm. Her phone was dead, of all the days to forget to recharge it. She could write to Hermione and Luna, since she had the book in her bag. It wouldn’t help though, it wasn’t like they had phones...

Shivering slightly, she rubbed harder, trying to towel her hair dry. Wet hair would just make her feel colder.

She curled up tighter, pulling Fuji’s fluffy white hoodie around her, huddling into the soft cloth. She had grabbed it this morning, with the intent to return both the shirt and the hoodie to their rightful owner. It was just lucky that she had completely forgotten to actually do so. Lucky also, that nobody had thought to search her book bag for clothes.

As she bit her lip she wondered if anyone missed her, and if they would even think to look here... She had no idea how much time passed, but judging from the shifting shadows, she’d been her for hours already.

She could see that the sun was starting to set through the window and her stomach rumbled. She was hungry, and the too familiar ache in her tummy, the phantom nausea of almost starving was making it hard not to cry. It wasn’t that bad right now, but it just reminded her of the ache of days without food, lips parched and cracked from only being allowed a small amount of water.

The Dursley’s hadn’t done it often, but if she did something too freakish in their eyes their favourite punishment was to just disappear her in her cupboard. And if they forgot to feed her... well she was the freak girl, they really didn’t care.

__________

Ryoma texted all of the regulars, letting them know that his  imouto was missing and asking if they could, please oh god where is she... HELP.

Oishi and  Kikumaru , who had been studying together at  Kikumaru’s house, paused. Frowning,  Kikumaru immediately replied. ‘Of course, tell us where you need us to search o- chibi . We’ll find her.’ Oishi always worried, and  Kikumaru liked the tiny second year. He wanted to be her friend...

Inui and  Kaidoh , still at the park for training, also read the text. “ Hariel-chan doesn’t get lost."  Kaidoh said, and to Inui he sounded upset. Because if she wasn’t lost... then where was she. “89% chance that Fuji will be able to find her.” Inui stated calmly, glasses glinting threateningly. “And 95% that foul play was involved.”  Kaidoh’s eyes darkened. Green bleeding into black in rage. There was no way that he was going to let whoever did this get away with it.

Momoshiro , at the street court, glanced at his phone. ‘What do you need me to do, Echizen?’ He texted back almost immediately.  Hariel was a nice girl, and  Ryoma was his best friend. He prayed that nothing had happened to her.

Kawamura was at home, doing strength training. He stopped to answer his text message and was glad that he did. ‘I’ll help too, Echizen.’ He added to the group message.

Tezuka frowned, someone on his team was legitimately upset. He grabbed his jacket and headed for the door. ‘Where are you right now, Echizen?’ He texted back, ready to seek out his  kouhai .

Fuji frowned, several scenes flashing through his mind, building into an uncomfortable scene.  Hariel resigned and sad. Nakamura maliciously pleased. Sumire-chan, muttering about having to lock up. 

Something cold had been crawling up his spine the entire afternoon, worsening steadily as the evening dragged on. Just after dinner, Yumiko had pulled a sweater over his head, and told him to go to Seigaku. She’d been frowning, and hadn’t said anything else. His sister was never wrong though, and he had been rounding the corner to the street the school was located on when Echizen texted.

‘I might know where she is. Checking now.’ He texted back briefly. He was running now, that ugly painful feeling clawing at his spine, skittering in sickening waves over his vertebrae.

Without a second thought he climbed over the gates. “Keys, keys  keys ..” Fuji muttered feverishly. Grabbing his cell phone, he dialled Tezuka. Not wasting any time on small talk, he started talking as soon as the line connected. “Tezuka, where do I find the keys to the girl’s locker room?”

To the Captain’s credit, he was quick enough to realise why Fuji would ask that and didn’t protest at all. “ Ryuzaki -sensei’s office. One of the windows might still be open.” The stoic sixteen-year old told him succinctly. “Right, okay...”

Ending the call and pocketing his phone again, Fuji scaled the building easily, spotting the glimmer of a partially open window even in the low light of the late evening. Shimmying over, he twisted his arm beneath the pane of glass. He hissed as the metal of the locking mechanism cut into his arm, scraping the wound open as he pushed that little bit further. When the window unlocked, he ducked into the room easily.

Grabbing the keys, he pushed open the window, dropping down to the ground and rolling to disperse the kinetic force of his landing. A second later he was running again.

While he unlocked the door, he hoped against hope that  Hariel was just asleep somewhere nice and calm. That she missed the bus. That she was already at home now.

When his eyes adjusted to the dark room, he inhaled sharply in pain. There she was, teeth clattering together, lips pale blue... “S-S- Syuu ... su .. ke -se..se- sen -pai.” She was shivering too hard to talk straight. Every inch of her skin was pale, tinting almost blue under the moonlight. Except for her cheeks, where two sickly red splotches were burning high on her cheekbones.

She was staring at him, curled up in a tiny ball against the cold tiles. Her eyes kept drifting away, her gaze unsteady, fever green. Fuji sank to his knees, pulling of the too hot sweater. All she was wearing was his t-shirt and his hoodie. He tugs of the hoodie, pulls his sweater over her  unnaturally stiff frame and then gently guides her arms into the white fluffy material again. Picking her up bridal style, he felt anger flaring to life at the knowledge that she had been suffering, had likely become ill because of two jealous girls.

He had promised her that he’d look out for her...

His arm slides straight under her legs, and her limbs were cold, too chilled. Her skin icy to the touch. He inhales unsteadily in shock. She's so cold. An arctic icy nose brushes over his collarbone. 

Hariel curled into him. Something soft is singing in her heart. She’d been found, she’d been missed. She nearly cries out as his too hot skin brushes against her naked thighs. Her core temperature is too low and it hurts. She can’t feel most of her skin anymore, but it feels like fire where he presses against her. 

She wants to cry. Wants to stop hurting. Wants nothing more than to crack open his ribs to crawl away into his too fierce heart, so she can safely hide forever. “Syusuke-senpai...” His name is whispered like a prayer. She doesn’t even realise she’s spoken. “Hari...” He needs to find a way to warm up her legs, or she will keep losing body heat which she can’t afford to lose. 

Thoughtfully he cocks his head to the side. “Hari-chan, I’m going to take back my hoodie to wear it okay? Then I’m going to carry you like a baby monkey, you can wrap your legs around my waist, underneath the fabric alright?” He wants her consent. They’ll be tangled even closer than they are now. Her eyes are sliding shut from sheer exhaustion but she nods faintly. 

He sits down on a bench with her in his lap. She’s faintly shivering and blinking tiredly.

Slowly he tugs off the fabric, leaving her in his t-shirt, he prays she has underwear on, and the sweater Yumiko gave him. It’s too long on him, and on her it’s a dress. He’s thankful for her foresight. He pulls on the white hoodie, it’s long and fluffy. He leans over her dazed form and her head lolls forward to lean against his chest, but she slowly reaches out with shaking arms. She winds her icy limbs around his neck and then her pale legs wrap around his waist.

He makes sure that her legs are covered by the soft white cloth. Her head is dropped onto his shoulder and if she isn’t asleep, she’s close to it.

He starts carrying her towards his home. It’s closer than the temple and she needs to be warmed up.

Preferably before she catches pneumonia. Fuji is angry. He is furious in a way he hasn’t been since  Yuuta was being crushed beneath his shadow by other people. He wants to make those girls suffer. If they hadn’t destroyed her clothes, she wouldn't have become ill at all. She would have been locked in accidentally and it would have been bad, but it wouldn’t have been dangerous to her physical health.

It’s unlucky circumstances. An attempt at bullying gone wrong, gone too far. He doesn’t care. He will see them gone from  Seigaku for this. Eerie blue glints in the dark, and Fuji looks far more threatening than should be possible for a teenage boy with no magic.

___________

Tezuka catches up with his anxious first year regular halfway through an empty street. “Echizen." He states calmly, hoping that he isn’t startling the boy.  Ryoma spins around, golden eyes larger than normal and panicked. His face is stoic as always, his hands are jammed into his pockets casually and  Tezuka gets the sinking feeling that it’s because his hands are trembling.

“Buchou...” He whispers and Tezuka doesn’t know what to say. He can’t make this better. Instead he steps closer and slowly pats Ryoma’s shoulder. He can only hope that the younger boy feels comforted in some way, because this is about the extent of his skills in emotionally charged situations. The captain is well aware that he can be distant, but he has never wanted to be cold.

Ryoma didn’t even mean to go to him, but the older boy is strong and steady. Honourable, reliable. Sort of like a rock in a stormy ocean, and he always makes  Ryoma feel safe. It felt natural to cling to him now, so he steps closer to the taller boy and twists his fingers into his jacket.

“Fuji called about keys. I think he will have found her by now."  Tezuka’s voice is low, it sounds almost cold, except  Ryoma can hear the faint worry. His only response is  Ryoma’s shaking shoulders.

He doesn’t know why the first year is this upset. It seems like an overreaction to a girl missing for only half a day. He doesn’t say so. Echizen is not the type to make a fuss about nothing.

He waits calmly for the boy to calm down. “Hariel... she was bullied really badly at her old school. She ran away after they attacked her so badly that she ended up in the hospital.” He wouldn’t normally spill Hariel’s secrets, but he is spilling over from anxiety.

Tezuka’s eyes widen briefly, now he understands the fear. It’s not just that she is missing, it is because the last time she was missing, it had ended badly. No wonder the first year is so upset.

A ping is heard, and awkwardly the taller boy takes out his phone. “Fuji has found Echizen- chan , he’s taking her to his house because... she’s undercooled.”  Ryoma inhales unsteadily and somewhat selfishly Tezuka prays that he won’t cry.

Slowly  Tezuka guides him towards Fuji’s house. He absently texts the rest of the people looking for her that she’s been found. 

The sheer relief that she’s been found combined with the stress of having spent hours in uncertainty is enough that  Ryoma feels a little dizzy. Not to mention, he hasn’t eaten since midday.

Tezuka stops him with a gentle hand. Then he kneels down,  Ryoma stares for a second, uncomprehending. Then he gratefully slumps against that rock-steady frame.

He knows he’s being unreasonable. That he is over-reacting. That  Tezuka is here to hold him up for a while, to carry him along on his strong back for a while means the world. “Thanks.” He mutters against the brunet’s warm skin, and he feels safe.

“Aah.” No further words are exchanged, but Tezuka carries him all the way to Fuji’s home.

_____________

Fuji doesn’t even have to ring the bell. Yumiko is opening the door before they even reach the front yard. Warm air meets them inside the brightly lit house. It doesn’t feel good for her.

Hariel doesn’t scream though. The pain isn’t like liquid-fire. It’s not  like the basilisk’s poison that had almost killed her. It feels more like a dull burn, and she has a very high pain tolerance. 

Fuji easily carries her upstairs. He tries to put her down on his bed, but she clings to him shakily. He smooths a gentle hand over her wild curls. “I’m just going to pick out some more clothes for you. I won’t be far okay...” He kisses her forehead. It feels like a firebrand, but in the best possible way. Extremely reluctantly Hariel lets go.

The slender boy wanders off to his dresser. He  rummages through the drawers, and eventually picks out plaid pyjama bottoms. The cotton is old and worn soft from years of use. Then he picks out two pairs of socks. It can’t hurt, he reasons with himself sadly.

She’s perched on the edge of his bed, small stiff fingers awkwardly twisting into his sheets. He kneels in front of her. “May I?" He’s not going to be the one who ignores her boundaries. She nods slowly, something bright and happy burns in her heart. He asked... he always asks.

He lifts one tiny icy foot, and tugs the cotton over it, then repeats the step with her other leg. Tugging the soft worn  checkered cloth higher up her legs, he tries to ignore how soft her pale thighs are as he drags the pants higher. Now really isn’t the time. Dizzily she stands up so that he can pull the white blue fabric over her hips. She tries not to react to the fiery hands trailing over her skin, because it feels good even though it burns.

When she loses her balance, her baby  bambi legs refusing to cooperate any further in their half-frozen state, he catches her easily. Now his hands are wrapped around her hips, holding her up with an easy display of strength. She blushes when he slowly guides her into sitting back down. She giggles briefly when he lifts one foot to tug on a striped green blue sock. He smirks, deliberately tickling her other foot. She squirms and smiles at him. 

If he ignored the fever red cheeks and her glazed eyes, it would have been a perfect moment. Slowly he tugs on the next pair of socks. Hariel blinks when she  realises they are embroidered with tiny cacti, and then she smiles at him. “I like the socks.” She whispers, and her voice comes out rough.

Fuji pulls back the sheets, and  Hariel takes the cue, flopping over onto the soft mattress. She pulls on his arm and he acquiesces. As soon as he is lying down, she crawls on top of him. With one leg between his, splayed over his warm chest as she contently tucks her head beneath his chin, she finally starts to feel warm.

Fuji blinks, and then curls his arms around her waist. He holds on tightly and when she tilts her head up for a kiss, he deepens the warm touch. Mapping her mouth slowly with a languid soothing kiss, the fear skittering up his spine finally, finally dissolves.

Hariel sighs, she feels unsteady and tired. Like all of her energy has been drained away. Fuji’s body is uncomfortably hot against her still too cool skin, but she wants to burrow into him anyway. Ancient power gliding over their skin, twining and steadily creating a feeling of safety deep inside her chest.

His hand is softly stroking her back and it’s lulling her into an almost dream-like state despite the dull ache. He’s been silent for so long that she absently wonders if he has fallen asleep. “I’m sorry.” His voice is softer than normal, and abnormally serious. It’s not that Fuji never takes anything serious, but he usually has a certain amount of amusement woven into his voice, because the world does amuse him. He is not amused now.

Hariel hums in question, why is he sorry? In panic she opens her eyes, does he want to break up with her? Is she not good enough because she was stupid enough to get herself locked in? Before the thoughts can spiral any further out of control, slender fingers start combing through her hair. Too hot lips press gently against her forehead for a long lingering second. “I promised to protect you. I failed.” There is a certain amount of self-hatred contained in the softly spoken words.

Fuji does not fail often, and normally when he does, he is amused because it is rare, fascinating. None of that applies now, he is sorry and genuinely upset.

Hariel’s eyes snap open. “Nobody ever came looking for me before. Syusuke-senpai... you didn’t fail. You found me.” Blue eyes soften, but she can see that the anger at himself isn’t gone. She frowns, but he only smooths a gentle thumb over her furrowed brows. “I will make this right." He promises her, and there is something too hard in his gaze.

Hariel doesn’t care. The malicious, almost sick gleam in Fuji’s eyes doesn’t scare her. At heart  Hariel loves, it is the core of who she is. She loves people, loves life. But she has not in return, been loved much. Hariel’s food was never guaranteed. There was never safety where she grew up, and for all that love is what is in her heart, it has been hatred on which she’s been raised.

Cold indifference was spoon-fed to her tiny baby mouth. Deliberate neglect was washed over her frail toddler body, and pain was painted on to her soft child-smooth skin.

Hariel doesn’t have it in her to care about how somebody cares for her, as long as they do. She’s been starved of positive attention for too many long endless years. So if Fuji cares for her in a way that looks like a bonfire gone wrong to others, she doesn’t mind. If he hurts other people, well, she has long since stopped caring for anybody but her own people. Innocents are different, and she never condones violence much. She just can’t bring herself to condemn others for it either, so long as it is in retaliation. She despises bullies.

If bullies get tripped down the stairs though, because they were sticking out a foot to make someone crash down all of the steps in a broken heap? That is a different story all together.

Hariel is a creature of love, but she’s never been taught about mercy.

Yumiko enters the room with a bowl of steaming chicken soup. She wonders vaguely why the college student had been cooking get well soup during the evening after dinner. “ Hariel -chan. Your parents have been called. All the regulars who were looking for you have gone home, but I think your brother will be here soon.” She cocked her head to the side, the bell rang. “There he is."

Ryoma enters Fuji’s room, followed by  Tezuka .  Hariel blinks calmly at her brother as Fuji sits up, he keeps the blankets arranged around her cool body as he manoeuvres her around into sitting up as well. In the end he is leaning against the wall and  Hariel is leaning against his chest, curled up against him between his legs. She relishes in the safety provided by two strong arms wound around her waist. Doesn’t want to contemplate how she’s going to react if he lets go.

Yumiko gently sets the serving tray with hot soup on it on her lap. The spoon is deeper than normal, and  Hariel is grateful because her hands are shaking too much for a normal one. Slowly she blows on the steaming hot liquid, and when she sips it hurts. The soup burns all the way down her throat in a wave of fire. It is necessary, but faintly resentful she does wish to just chuck the makeshift torture fluid out of the window.

The female Fuji walks up to the bed, and gently tugs on Fuji’s arm. Shoving up the shirt shows the scrape, she hums and then returns with a first aid kit. Slowly and carefully she cleans the cut on his arm, and then puts a square piece of sterile gauze over it. In quick elegant loops she secures a bandage over it.  Hariel swallows uneasily. Was that her fault?

Yumiko gently pats first Fuji and then  Hariel for good measure on the head. She smiles kindly and then leaves the room with the servey tray.

The golden-eyed boy drops to the floor, Ryoma isn’t crying, but it is a close thing. Normally they only hear about the dangerous or painful situations she gets into after they are resolved. He has never been confronted with the nail-biting waiting part of her accidentally too interesting life. For all that Ryoma is surprisingly mature, he is still young in a way Hariel never was.

Hariel reaches out with one pale hand to softly card through his hair. He is kneeling next to the bed, his head resting on her knee. “Sorry,  nii-chan .”  Hariel says softly. “Baka- imouto . Why are you saying sorry?”  Ryoma grumbles back, but he doesn’t protest against her hand in his hair. He makes a very good attempt to be his usual disinterested cocky self, but they all know better. His grip on her wrist is too tight to be anything but desperate and scared.

“Ah, Echizen-chan. I’m glad to see that you are alright now. I will take my leave now."  Hariel thoughtfully looks at the third-year captain. She doesn’t know him, except from stories. He is honourable though, and he cares for his team. She knows that  Ryoma wouldn’t have sought anyone out in his distress, so the boy must have come to her  aniki himself.

“Thank you for keeping  Ryoma-nii-chan company  Tezuka-buchou .” There is a flash of surprise in his cinnamon eyes and then he nods carefully.  Hariel approves, she is glad that her  aniki does have a good team. 

The tall brunet turns to  Ryoma and hesitates for only a small amount of time. Then he wanders over to very sweetly pat  Ryoma’s shoulder. For someone else it wouldn’t seem like much, but he is much like  Ryoma and so the boy knows he cares. “I’ll see you tomorrow, Echizen.” He nods at Fuji and then he is gone.

Hariel turns to face Fuji with a sly smile, she gets a foxy grin in return. The two tennis-obsessed left-handers are a lot alike... They seem to fit together well.

Hariel falls asleep soon after he leaves. The day has been long and stressful and her dreams are much the same.

________

When she wakes up, it is still dark. Fuji is spread out beneath her and she sighs softly. It is safe, she is curled into him, and his arms are wound tightly around her waist. Everything feels hot though. His skin is blissfully cool but in a  daze she kicks off the blankets. Hariel nuzzles against him,  smushing her face further into the enticing curve of his neck.

Fuji wakes up hot. Not even in a fun way, but literally overheating.  Hariel’s clammy, fever-sticky skin is plastered against him. He frowns, she’s sick. He doesn’t know how sick, but the guilt surges in him again. All his fault...

Ryoma is asleep, curled up against the side of his bed and he vaguely wonders just how much time has passed. 

Fuji wonders sometimes, if he would still find Hariel so fascinating if he ever manages to unravel all of her secrets. He is pretty sure though, that she is unpredictable enough to remain a colourful splotch of chaos in his boring world. He teases and prods, pushes and tugs, because he is bored. Almost everything and everyone is predictable.

Yuuta called him fickle once, because he goes through hobbies and interests so quickly. There are only a few things which have captured his attention for longer than a few months. It isn’t that he is shallow or loses his passion easily. Being as smart as he is has the disadvantage that most things are too easy to figure out. Once he does, he usually loses interest.

Hariel is never easy to figure out.

He glances around in confusion when he hears someone knock on his door. It’s not a rhythm he is familiar with. “Come in.” He calls, intrigued. He feels a little bit like a deer caught in the headlights of a car when  Hariel’s parents enter the room while he is in bed with their daughter. When Rinko merely smiles at him kindly, he sighs out in relief. The first time he had come over for dinner, he had clocked on to the fact that  Rinko is far more dangerous than  Nanjirou .

To be expected really, a lawyer has to be shrewd and cunning.

“Fuji- kun . Thank you for finding our daughter.” He tenses. “I should have put it together sooner.”  Rinko frowns, she can see the guilt and the frustration and she wants to smooth over those feelings. “You didn’t lock her in. Don’t beat yourself up over it.” She states kindly, patting the boy on the shoulder softly.

Then she turns to  Hariel . “Hey Hari-dear.” She whispers softly. Hazy green is slowly revealed as  Rinko feels her temperature. “ Kaa -chan.”  Hariel whispers sleepily. “Are you ready to go home? I don’t think we should impose on Fuji- kun much longer.”

In a split-second green turns poison bright.  Hariel curls away from her touch, backing away from the woman. She flings herself towards the wall, hiding behind Fuji. He is a little bit shocked at the development, but nevertheless reaches out a hand to pat her head. “What’s going on  Hariel-chan ?” Fuji asks softly. He doesn’t particularly want her to leave, but he understands why her parents would want to take her home.

Hariel begins to mutter, and curls into a tiny ball against the wall. She weaves her fingers into her hair and starts tugging violently. Rinko watches in shock as her daughter descends into a kind of breathless hysteria. Fuji sits up slowly and when he does  Hariel crawls into his lap, wrapping herself around him as tightly as possible. She’s wrapping all of her limbs around him and then proceeds to hide her face against his neck.

Nanjirou watches, resigned. When he spots a faint glow on her hands, he steps in. “ Bishoujo .” He calls calmly.  Ryoma , who woke up when  Hariel flung herself to the wall watches wide-eyed. Acid icy green meets his calm hazel gaze. “We won’t make you do anything, okay.” He demonstrates by slowly patting her hair, while making it abundantly clear that he is not going to make a single move to tug her away from the boy she is holding tightly.

Slowly the glow dims, and her poison eyes brighten back into lively emerald. She blinks as if she’s waking up. “Wha? S going on?” She blinks and they can all tell that she isn’t quite aware. Her head keeps lolling to the side, and she keeps blinking rapidly, as if to wake herself up.

Fuji slowly, soothingly rubs her back and her rigid grip slowly  loosens as she leans her weight against him more and more. 

When  Rinko tries to step closer again, her grip  tightens and her body language changes to tense and rigid again. The woman frowns, stepping back. “What’s going on?” She asks  Nanjirou slowly. The Samurai sighs. “I think she’s... sick, and upset. It’s not a good situation. She’s scared and out of it.”

With everyone not bonded to her further away,  Hariel melts into a floppy weak puddle in Fuji’s lap. She’s tired, and sick. She feels unsafe, and adamantly does not want to let go of Fuji, not even for her mom.

Fuji found her, was the first person to ever take her out of a bad situation, and she wants to stay with him. He’s warm and he makes her magic all gliding and smooth and she wants to cling to the rain and spice scent. It’s grounding.

“But why doesn’t she want to go home?”  Rinko asks, her voice rising in her frustration. She loves  Hariel , and it hurts  to be rejected for a boy she has only known for a short while. Her baby girl looked at her like she was the enemy...

Ryoma snickered, and the building tension abruptly shatters like so much cheap glass. “Invite Fuji-senpai. She’ll go home.” He mutters. Somehow, the sight of  Hariel confused and dazed, clinging like a baby monkey to an even more confused Fuji is funny. She’s safe, she’s aware enough to cuddle with her boyfriend. Ryoma is fairly sure that everything will work out fine. Besides, the sight of a confused  tensai is to be savoured. It might not happen again.

“Eh?” Fuji squeaks out awkwardly.  Hariel hums like a great big cat and then proceeds to rub her face against his neck. “ Bishoujo , do you want Fuji to take you home?” She hums in what could be affirmation. “Can we take you home now?” He asks, just to be sure. When he gets a threatening snarl of all things, he sighs. 

“I’ll go and discus the options with Yumiko-san.” He states calmly.  Rinko frowns, not sure if giving in to strange demands is the best way to handle this situation. “Hang on. I don’t know if that is a good idea.  Hariel needs boundaries, and since she is  sick she needs to go home now. We can’t just let her demand things  Nanjirou , that would be bad parenting."

It sounds reasonable. Normal even. Except Hariel is not just a child, she’s also a traumatised witch. Her magic runs high enough in her core that she straddles the boundaries of creature-like behaviour when she’s not feeling centred.

Normally the instincts provided by magic are faint. Witches and wizards are so long removed from their roots that they are more human then magic. The primordial raging power turned into little more  than a convenient tool. But  Hariel ... her magic still runs wild and she doesn’t even try to control it. Her connection with magic is wide open. Her mind provides balance, instinct working in tandem with reasoning. But her mind is hazy right now, and her magic wilder then normal still.

All she hears is threat, someone wants to take her away from her bonded. The last time someone wanted to take her somewhere while she wasn’t fully awake, she woke half-starved in her cupboard two weeks later. Magic begins rising in near visible waves, and she will sooner disappear herself then allow herself to be taken away. 

Ryoma frowns at his mother. He knows she means well, but she hasn’t been home nearly enough if she hasn’t realised that a sick  Hariel is more like wounded predator then a human girl.

She can’t help it. Her demand isn’t a demand, it is instinct. The raven rises on shaky legs, and in sync  Ryoma and Fuji rise with her. Pleading eyes glance at them and when they smile reassuringly at her, she tugs them behind her in her wake.

Before  Rinko or  Nanjirou can even react,  Hariel herds the two boys down the stairs. She only pauses long enough to make sure they have shoes on. Then she pushes them out of the front door. When they are far enough away that  Hariel is reasonably sure nobody can take away her boys her legs start trembling. She’s running on energy she doesn’t have in sheer desperation.

“Wow hey, okay hold on..." Fuji says, startled, as her legs buckle. He sweeps her up into his arms. “I won’t go back. I don’t want to go back. Don’t make me go back.” It’s faint and  Ryoma barely catches it even though he is standing right next to the couple.

He gets a sinking feeling, a picture of a piece of Hariel’s past that he adamantly does not like. He carefully brushes her sweaty bangs away from her flushed face. “Ri-chan... what did you think was going to happen?” “I don’t want to go there... they hate me. He always sends me back...”

Ryoma feels sick to his stomach. The realisation of what happened painful and ugly. Fuji frowns as the  greenet pales. “Echizen, what’s going on?” He asks gently but firmly. Golden eyes glance up at him, then the first-year sighs. “You know that  Hariel used to go to a boarding  school right?" The honey-haired teen nodded.

“Somehow, most years she would end up in trouble."  Ryoma snorts bitterly. “Her old school was a fucking battle ground. Spies and puzzles, mysteries and danger...  Hariel always wants to help, so of course she was always in the middle of whatever plot was afoot.”

Golden eyes closed briefly in sadness, in anger. “I think... I think she was always shipped off back to her godawful relatives no matter her condition. She’s so out of it, her old memories and the now are melding into one confusing event. She always used to beg the headmaster to let her stay for the summer, but he never did.  So she would attempt to save whatever needed saving, get hurt, and then she would be separated from her friends, while sick or injured, to be send back to her very own personal hell.”

Fuji swallowed hard. “ So when  Rinko -san mentioned taking her home, and therefor separating her from me... She thought she was being torn away from someone she trusts, to be sent back to her abusive relatives.”  Ryoma nodded, face pinched and worried.

The prodigy carefully carried the tiny girl along. “What a mess...” He’s not entirely sure what to do, but he does know that they need to take  Hariel somewhere she feels safe. “Where should we go? I want her to be able to rest. She’s sick enough as it is." Fuji says, frustrated.  Ryoma nods. He loves his mom, but she really messed up.

Hariel moans weakly, trying to focus is hard, but when she hears Fuji’s  question she realises there is only one place she wants to go. “Seiichi...” The name leaves her lips as a hoarse but unmistakable whisper. Fuji glances at Echizen, who nods back calmly. It makes as much sense as anywhere else.

“Do you have some spare cash with you?" Fuji asks his  kouhai bluntly. He isn’t carrying any money himself.  Hariel is bundled up in his clothes so he already knows she has no money whatsoever on her right now. Ryoma nods. “Enough to take the bus to the hospital.” He confirms easily, having guessed the tensai’s thought process.

He hums. “Good. Let’s go.” The trio of Seigaku students stride off into the dark.


End file.
